The Sleeping Darkness
by RocketRochelle
Summary: Star Wars KotOR - Fem LS Revan. Former Jedi Darth Malak and one time apprentice of Darth Revan, now Dark Lord of the Sith, lays siege on the Republic. The embattled Republic military and Jedi Order stand together against Malak and his mysterious innumerable forces. Loyalties are challenged and hope seems lost as perceived realities melt away in this chaotic race against time.
1. PROLOGUE

** Prologue**

"_If __you __do __not __change __direction, __you __may __end __up __where __you __are __heading.__" _

**_- Lao __Tzu_**

"You're not hearing me, Admiral," Commander Carth Onasi pointed out in a sharp tone, his eyes narrowing. The sound of loud klaxon alarms coming from outside the impressive Fleet Command structure momentarily diverted his attention to the windows just behind him that overlooked the Fleet Military Academy adjacent to command. While the sound set his nerves on edge, the noise was short lived and no alarms went off inside the building. Still, he checked his communications device on his wrist; no warning of a pending attack. Must have been the cadets he'd noticed practicing outside on his arrival.

"Graduation day; final exercise," the Admiral explained, answering Carth's unspoken question.

Carth nodded his understanding. Boot camp culminated in a capture the flag exercise. It marked the end of their training and gave the winning team bragging rights. Carth let go a long breath; it felt like a different lifetime since he'd graduated: as it should. He was on his second war in his Fleet career, and things were not going well for the Republic with their current conflict with the Sith. This brought his thoughts back to the assignment he just got handed. It was the type of order that those in the military referred to as a BOHICA order; bend over here it comes again. While not unusual in the armed forces, he'd expected more from Admiral Connors.

"As I was saying, this mission, from what little I've been told, just doesn't make any logical sense. I've got orders now that require me to take a Jedi on board my ship with no real objective, Admiral. How do I deploy a ship and her crew under those circumstances? It's basically a cruise to nowhere," Carth noted with a edge in his voice.

The career military Captain had seen a lot over the past 22 years. Admiral Paul Connors was actually a friend, at least the closest thing Carth allowed to friendship anymore. That meant he met with him for drinks when they ran into each other, which averaged a few times a year. That was about as close as you got to the Captain now: drinks and some small talk, on occasion.

By forty years old, Carth Onasi had served during the Mandalorian Wars and now in what had become a full out war between the Republic and the Sith. He had a deserved reputation of being one of the best pilots in the Republic, an outstanding tactician, a master with firearms and his loyalty to the Republic was unquestionable.

"Now Carth, we've been all through that..." the Admiral started, eyeing Carth sternly as he began.

"You have your orders, Captain. That's the end of it," he finished brusquely, wishing fervently he didn't have to require this of Carth. He understood all of his reservations, yet he had to follow the orders as well.

The seasoned soldier disliked having to deal with Jedi, ever since the defection of the Jedi Revan and Malak to the Sith. They'd fought with the Republic, going against the Jedi High Council to do so during the Mandalorian Wars. Carth for one had been glad for their help; he'd respected them for it. No one could deny that it was Revan's leadership that had turned the tide to the side of the Republic, crushing the Mandalorians. The Mandalorians fled, fleeing Mandalorians, now there was an oxy moron if there ever was one.

It was also Revan though, who insisted on taking many of the Republic's ships deep into the Unknown Regions in pursuit of the defeated Mandalorians.

When Revan and Malak finally returned, it was as Dark Sith Lords, attacking the Republic with their own ships and Republic soldiers turned traitors. It was a lesson in distrust of everyone, which the Captain was not going to forget. It was one thing for a Jedi to be influenced by dark powers, but for high ranking Republic Military members to betray the ones they'd sworn to protect was another matter altogether. The starship Captain never fully understood the whole Force thing, it was too ambiguous, he preferred the concrete. There was not any gray area to the solitary man, there was black and white, wrong and right, especially now.

This whole mission, as it had been explained to him was nothing but a hazy pile of gray, and that didn't sit well with the cunning military tactician.

"I know all about following orders, Admiral. No one has to remind ME of my duty," Carth nearly shouted, his nostrils flaring.

"No Captain worth a frak would sit back without questioning this bizarre assignment. I mean a Jedi coming in, taking over my ship, with no mission plan, no objective, no explanations, just a lot of mumbo jumbo about the Force and secrecy. I don't blindly follow ANYONE!" he blew out a breath, gesturing angrily with his hands as he continued. "People doing that are what got us in this mess in the first place and I will not be a part of it," the battle scarred Commander finished, placing his hands on hips, fixing his Admiral with a look that was on fire.

Bastilla seemed oblivious to Carth's outburst as she continued to stare out at the training field, seemingly watching the senior cadets on the training area. It had been well over ten minutes since the stern but beautiful Jedi had said anything. Her attention completely riveted on whatever she was staring at out the window. Carth had wondered if she was in some kind of Jedi trance, but was happy she was at least keeping her annoyingly large mouth shut long enough to let him get in a word edgewise.

"Now Carth, no one is asking you to blindly follow anyone. The command of the Endar Spire is still yours; the mission however is under Bastilla's authority. The details are classified Captain, even above my clearance. I know I don't have to explain the necessity for that, to you particularly, especially in these times. Now..." the Admiral started, eying Carth sternly as he began.

"That's the end of it," he finished brusquely.

The Fleet Admiral wished fervently he didn't have to require this of Carth. He completely understood his friend's reservations; he had a few of his own along the same lines. The Republic was losing though, even after Revan's death, and they were running out of options. This was a necessary gamble and he, for one, was glad that the Jedi had chosen Carth to be in on it, always welcoming any chance to stack the deck in their favor.

The Jedi turned from the window with obvious reluctance, turning her gaze onto the Admiral.

"Admiral, don't forget I will need Private Kerkes," she paused, raising her chin before continuing. "And I'll also need Private Trask Ulgo assigned to this task. I don't know your military jargon, but I'll need them both on the Endar Spire. They're cadets here- graduating today."

Turning to Carth she added, "My shuttle will leave from here and go directly to the Endar Spire Captain. There is much to do, I expect us to be on our way by 0900 tomorrow, and-" she didn't get the rest out before she was interrupted.

"On our way to where? We need a destination to plot a course, which you say you can't give me," the handsome Commander's eyes narrowed as he stabbed a finger at the huge window. "You're cherry picking two noobs from the Academy to go on this mission? You want to explain why when I have a fully staffed vessel? Don't tell me, let me guess, you can't tell me that either," he turned his attention to the Admiral. "Come on Paul, this is all really frakin irregular. There's no way you can expect me after-"

"Calm yourself, Captain. You will be given the navigation coordinates as needed, without the final destination however; not even I possess that knowledge. That information will be given to you as needed, as it will be given to me, I trust. As far as my personnel requirements go, that's none of your concern." She held up a hand as Carth's mouth opened.

"I will tell you this: I need Traviata's talents for this assignment,. She's vital to the mission," her steely eyes met Carth's. "Just as I require you," the Jedi looked briefly at the window and then back to the Captain. "You're correct, this is an _irregular_ mission and more than that, the very fate of the Republic hangs on my completing my objective," Bastilla began walking to the doorway.

"So please, Commander," she paused cocking an eyebrow, "a little more cooperation and a little less drama, if you will," the beautiful, petite brunette's walk was soft and inhumanly fast. She stopped briefly at the Admiral and gave a slight nod to him. "Thank you, Admiral Connors," and just like that she was gone, leaving Carth glaring at the doorway while the Admiral stood watching the Captain.

Private Traviata Kerkes' lungs burned, her legs ached, as she sprinted down the last few yards to her goal: Team Bravo's flag.

As squad leader she had no intention of letting her team down, and more than that, she really hated losing, especially to the bad guys (in this case it was Team Bravo).

Dodging a pair of Bravo's Rangers, causing them to collide with each other, the Private did a forward tumble picking up the holocron, which was the designated flag in this final exercise of boot camp.

After an appraising glance of the holocron, she deftly tucked it into the inside pocket of her uniform field jacket. It had taken her a while to get used to the uniform. Spending all of her adult life training and working for Republic Intelligence, she'd never been required to wear a uniform. Being a largely covert unit, that particular branch of the Republic Military had no use for uniforms. Founded during the Mandalorian Wars, the organization was relied on more now than since it's inception.

Traviata had spent most of her time since joining, cultivating skills that were handy to have, not to mention required if you wanted to live long while in deep cover.

Ranging from protocol to weapons specialist, as well as hand to hand combat expertise, her training had been varied and extensive.

Her natural aptitude for linguistics was identified early in her career, so that education had been intensified, leaving her with a firm grasp of more languages than most could even name.

Belonging to that branch of service required a huge commitment. It had taken years, and it meant no ties to anyone, not that she had any to begin with. It also meant no prospect of having any in the future.

That was fine by her; she had a deep, passionate love for the Republic and for the Military. She was determined to make a difference and help end the Sith menace to the Republic. The determined patriot really had no desire to do anything else.

She'd only just reached the rank of Lieutenant, and had been looking forward to her first solo mission when she'd received her new orders.

_Due __to __the __on going __war __and __after __careful __review __of __our __resources, __it __has __been __decided __that __we __must __redeploy __our __assets._

_Report __to __the __Naval __Academy __for __reassignment; __it __is __felt __you __will __best __serve __the __Republic __in __that __capacity._

_**Sacrifice **__**Today,**__**Victory **__**Tomorrow.**_

She tried to keep her resentment at the reassignment buried down deep. If was hard for her though, having to go through the formalities of basic training. Humiliating really, considering the training she'd received previously, and she wondered who she'd pissed off enough to rate this exile.

Starting over at 38 years old was a big pile of suck for the one time lieutenant.

She knew complaining would get her nothing but stuck in some sector away from the action, minding a communications beacon or something equally exciting. So she kept her mouth shut, followed orders and counted the days until she'd get her duty assignment.

"Vee, what the frak are you waiting on? Burn sky until you see lines!" Trask's slightly irritated voice over the headset in her helmet broke into her thoughts.

Well, there had been one consolation to her recent turn of events: Trask. Their friendship was instant and had only grown as they went through the rigors of Basic.

"Where are you now?"

She looked around as she moved down the rocky rough terrain, stirring up a cloud of dust. The environment made it difficult to keep their position unknown. Trask had broken off from her earlier, heading the opposite way, without explanation.

"The hill you just went up, I'm across in the valley." He cleared his throat before continuing. "I'm in jail actually; I was the distraction that got them off your ass. Now win this thing Vee! By the way, drinks are on you after."

Vee smiled. That was just like Trask and one of the reasons she cared so deeply for him.

"Alright, alright, I'm going. One thing though, the losers are buying the drinks, and that will be Bravo Team. I've seen you drink Trask, and I don't want that bar bill!"

Seeing the two Rangers she'd dodged earlier taking aim for her she fell to the ground whipping out her blaster pistol. Two shots and bingo, an alarm screeched on their ID bands for the game, turning red as the irritating noise stopped.

The adrenaline running through her veins, she scrambled to her feet and began a full out run toward the Alpha team border. The one time undercover agent wondered why they left Trask able to communicate. _Probably __in __order __to __monitor __our __encrypted __frequency,_ she figured. Trask had helped out Alpha team more than he probably realized.

Creeping quietly to the top of the next hill, cursing under her breath as her feet lost traction on the loose gravel covering the area, she was able to make out her friend in the detention area. There were three of the opposing team members guarding him and two more of Bravo's squad were in Alpha's jail; that left three more unaccounted for.

If she made a run for it, they'd be on top of her instantly. No doubt the other three between her and their goal line would be as well. That gave her an idea. This actually was right up her alley and it was time to put some of her training to work. The determined soldier had a plan, and put it into motion as soon as she'd decided her course of action.

"Squad leader to Risotto. You and your partner meet me at these coordinates. You're going to take the package home and I'm the distraction. I'm going for Trask," she ordered while typing in the coordinates for the Alpha Ranger team. Hopefully Bravo team would take the bait.

"Affirmative Squad leader. Location received. Risotto out," the cadet's heavy breathing indicated she was running while acknowledging the order.

"What the hell Kerkes?" Risotto shouted when Traviata handed her a medpak, conveniently the same shape as the holocron, and then muted their comlinks.

"You guys are the distraction, I'm carrying the package. They're monitoring our coms," Traviata said in a rush.

"They'll follow you, I'll bust out Trask and then haul jets on the backside of this range of hills," she said pointing.

The course was covered with many different hills which made for excellent cover. They were also a great place to be ambushed. The only way her plan would work was if Alpha team took the bait and put everyone on pursuing Risotto.

She knew it was a risk, but she also knew that it would work. Big risk, big gain.

"If we head straight for the border they'll stop us," Traviata explained, sensing Risotto's hesitance. She had to have her full commitment to the plan, or it wouldn't work. "You're fast and agile; you can lead them on a wild yunax chase, acting like you're just evading them. It's the classic bate and switch," she added.

"We win this way _and_ leave no man behind," Traviata trailed off knowing she had her convinced.

"Fine. You better make it Kerkes. One person is not worth our objective," Risotto reminded her, while running off toward the Alpha Border. "Sacrifice equals victory," she shouted the Republic military war slogan out as her parting words.

Traviata stared after the young tough cadet, hoping fervently that her plan would work, determined that it would. She would save Trask and complete her mission.

She met no resistance on her way to release Trask; she'd crept right up the jail. With no guards there, the only thing holding him was the sensor that automatically set off a very loud alarm if he crossed over.

"I knew you'd come back for me, Vee," Trask said catching his friend in a quick hug.

"You'd do the same," she said stretching up on her tiptoes returning his embrace. She let her eyes search her friend and then the surrounding area, having the most intense sense of déjà vu.

"They're all gone; they went after the holocron," he said misreading her distracted behavior.

His eyes widened as his friend quickly patted the bulge in her pocket. This rescue just got complicated.

"What the deuce? You're a few starships short of a fleet, Vee," he said straight faced.

"Ready to make some noise?"

She smiled, not waiting for his reply. She grabbed his hand and yanked him past the sensor and then the pair ran off in the direction of their border, the loud alarm announcing Trask's escape.

The two friends met no enemy resistance on their way, which had been a distance of approximately three klicks from Alpha's border.

Coming up to the final mound, before reaching their goal, the one-time Lieutenant ran even faster than her normal blistering speed. Bypassing the rangers at the mouth of the field opening, she raced up the hill, leaving Trask and the Bravo soldiers looking after her in astonishment.

"Where does she think she's going?" Vee heard over the comlink in her helmet, briefly wondering that very thing herself.

The move was instinctual, not planned at all; she just knew there was no other way to make it to the goal line. All the dedicated soldier knew was that she wasn't letting them lose, no matter what it cost her.

When she got to the top of the mound, she dove off the top into a back flip, her body twisting and turning in the air.

The Squad leader landed on her feet in a crouch. She did an internal inventory; other than some strained muscles, she felt fine. The athletic soldier was dismayed she hadn't broken at least one bone. _Not __entirely __intact __though_ she thought, spitting a mouthful of blood onto the dusty ground.

Apparently, the years of training were going to be useful, even as a Private in Fleet, making her feel a little bit better about the entire transfer situation. At least all that work wouldn't go to waste; in fact it might give her the advantage when in a conflict with the average black boot.

It was quiet for a moment as everyone on the field stared at her, all momentarily taken off guard at what they'd witnessed.

Traviata's mind screamed, RUN!

Out of her crouch she sprang into a sprint, zigzagging as she evaded the blaster bursts aimed at her as everyone regained their focus on their new target.

Rissoto chanced a backward glance, and then her muscular form stopped in its tracks, watching Vee cross the border to safety. Two soldiers from Bravo's team on Risso's six tackled her, the trio rolling into the dirt landing with a loud thud.

Pinning her down, despite her struggling, they searched her pockets in vain as the cheers from Alpha team roared out. Risotto's cocky grin told the story and Bravo team realized they'd been had, the Alpha squad's soldier's grin turned into a chuckle, as the klaxon sounded their victory. The pair pinning her down released her in disgust, swearing under their breath. Risotto now sank into the dirt, her face echoed her relief that the dangerous plan had worked.

Simultaneously, things started to happen then; various Fleet Officers started walking out onto the field as Alpha team's victory was announced over their comlinks and victory dances started all over the field.

Risotto decided she wanted a word with the squad leader and walked over to Traviata slowly, coming to stand directly in front of her. "That was still an awfully big risk you took. It could have just as easily gone the other way," she said while taking off her helmet.

The older soldier took off her helmet as well, revealing her short blonde hair, now matted to her head from the exertion of the day. "You're right, it was a risk," she agreed nodding, running a hand through the tangled mess on top her head.

"But you know what? I think that's exactly what it's going to take to win this war. Big risks and we just executed it brilliantly" she added solemnly.

The two stared at each other for a moment, ignoring the hooping and hollering of their team mates. "Maybe, you're right," the shorter brunette extended her hand to the older woman. "Good job, Kerkes."

The squad commander reached out and shook the offered hand, "You know it wouldn't have worked without you, and," she said gesturing to the group now gathered around them, "well all of you. It took everyone to do this."

Traviata extracted the holocron from her pocket and activated it. It was the Fleet Admiral.

"Attention," she barked out to the group, nudging Trask who was now beside her. Everyone quickly followed suit, all staring at the larger than life version of the Admiral now seeming to float above the holocron like some type of spirit.

Private Kerkes knew he had offices here at the Academy, but she'd never seen him in person. From her time working in Intelligence she knew the Admirals for all the military branches had offices in most of the Republic sectors, staying in whichever location best suited their needs at the time.

She glanced over at the base in front of them. The training grounds for field exercises began about one klick from the base's buildings.

It was a huge facility, with the shuttle bay docks closest to where they were now. Forward and to the west of that was an immense building with floor after floor of offices. Her eyes went to the top floor wondering if he was actually there watching, speaking to them from that location."Congratulations, Alpha Team. This is always the high point for every class that comes through, a time to put all that you've learned to the test. That was quite a display of skill we saw out there from everyone involved today. We know that all of you will go on to be an asset to the Naval Fleet and will serve the Republic loyally," the Admiral finished with a salute.

Everyone was ordered in by their CO; the exercise was over. They were to report to the barracks, get cleaned up and get their duty assignments to see where they would be deployed. It was an order that everyone temporarily ignored as Alpha team converged on Traviata. Lifting her onto their shoulders, they carried her around the field for a victory lap before carrying her off to the barracks. Even some of Bravo team joined in. After all, they were really all on the same side: the Republic.

"Sorry about that, Carth," the graying Admiral said nodding at the Captain, now standing beside him, gazing darkly out the window.

"Oh don't be sorry for THAT, Admiral Connors," Carth's stone faced expression didn't change as he spoke. "What you can be sorry for is for allowing the Jedi to commandeer my ship," he quipped. The Captain was enraged that he'd rushed halfway across the galaxy for this, and expecting anything but what he was now faced with.

The Admiral let go a deep sigh, mentally preparing himself for the showdown he knew was coming with his favorite officer. If only the haughty Jedi had approached Carth differently, then he knew the entire conversation would have gone another way.

If she'd only explained to him about Kerke's years of special training and transfer from Intelligence. If the young Jedi had at least of asked the war hardened soldier for his help, instead of demanding his cooperation while giving him zero details, then he knew the military professional would have been much more receptive to this unusual assignment.

Knowing Carth's history with his mentor turned traitor, Saul Karath, she should have expected his reaction. Saul had been Carth's CO for many years, fighting against the Mandalorians together. Admiral Connors knew that there had been some hero worship on Carth's part, up until the day Saul had tried to convince the soldier that they were on the wrong side of the conflict with the Sith.

Saul didn't want to lose, and if that meant switching his loyalties, then so be it. The moment Revan and Malak had returned from the Unknown Regions with an immense Sith armada, Saul was convinced that the Republic could never prevail. After all, he witnessed first hand what they unleashed on the Mandalorians, without the aid of the added resources they were now in control of.

Thankfully, Carth had not seen it that way. It was his steadfast loyalty to the Republic, as well as his other considerable skills, that Jedi Master Vandar had mentioned when insisting on the Captain's assignment to the covert mission.

The war weary Admiral walked over to his massive desk, gesturing to a chair, knowing full well that the irritated Commander would refuse the offer.

Carth followed him briskly to his desk, his face a cloud of anger.

"I don't have time to sit; I've got less than 24 hours to have my ship and crew mission ready, with no idea of the mission's parameters or most importantly its objective," the Captain paused, placing both hands on the desk, leaning onto his fingertips, bringing the two face to face.

"What exactly is going on here Paul? You owe me that much," Carth's deep voice asked barely above a whisper for the first time during the strained meeting.

"You're right of course; I owe you a great deal more than that my friend," the Fleet Commander said coming around the desk to his long time ally, and sat on the edge before continuing.

"I owe you more than I can ever repay you Carth, you and I both know that," he said, his voice now thick with emotion.

Carth turned to face his friend, his head shaking in disagreement. Connors held up a hand in protest, effectively silencing the Captain.

"Don't argue with me about that point," he stopped, clearing his throat suddenly choked by emotion as he remembered the dark days when he'd been unaware of his wife's whereabouts after the first attacks by Revan. It had been Carth who'd facilitated their reunion, getting her to safety, putting himself at great risk to do so.

Both men were lost in their own thoughts of that time period, Carth allowing himself to remember the attack on Telos IV. It was something he usually tried to avoid.

He'd raced to Telos IV, his home world, as soon as he heard of the attack. The brutal assault had been a complete surprise, unimaginable really. The patriot didn't arrive in time to save many. The streets were strewn with the dead, people dying in front of him as he made his way to his home. Too late, the words continued to still echo in his head after four years. He'd been too late to save _them_. He was able to locate Paul's wife though, and get her safely evacuated.

"Fine. You're right, you owe me big. Put your credits where mouth is for a change. Hand this annoying Jedi mission off to someone else then or tell me what the frak is going on. You've got the clout to get away with it," Carth regretted the words as soon as he said them.

He blew out a breath. "I'm sorry Paul, I didn't mean that. You don't owe me anything and I'm not one to shirk my duty," he said sincerely, pinching the bridge of his nose. With great effort he pushed away the painful memories.

"I know that very well, Carth," his friend replied honestly.

Twenty years the Captain's senior, he'd been his flight instructor at the Academy. The two had become friends after discovering they came from the same home world, knowing many of the same places and people.

"How's Jaycee doing?" Carth asked, a slightly forced smile on his face, his tone lighter. The tension was still there though, simmering, ready to flare.

"Good. She was hoping you'd come over for dinner, stay with us when you were here at the Academy," he hesitated giving Carth the chance to respond.

"Tell her I wish I could, but I'm apparently going on an urgent mission somewhere, for something," Carth paused, feeling his anger rise; he tried to tamp it down. "In other words, tell her what ever you usually do when I can't make it."

"I'll confer your regrets," the Admiral said, with a sideways smile.

"Okay, this is everything I know, though it isn't a damn sight more than you know already. This mission comes from the Jedi High Council; Master Vandar Tokare contacted me personally. He wanted you, specifically, as well as Private Kerkes," the Admiral took a deep breath, pausing briefly. "There had been no mention of Private Ulgo until just now when Bastilla requested him."

Carth's eyebrow shot up at that. "I wonder why the sudden addition? That's strange," he trailed off. "I'm sorry, go on Paul," he added.

"Master Vandar says that this mission, while technically a Jedi matter to contend with and while risky, could prove to yield results that would turn this war in our favor. I know you're wondering like I was, Carth, why they aren't using a Jedi strike force team then," the Admiral remarked.

"Crossed my mind," the Captain's voice dripping with sarcasm. "I mean, it's an odd play for the Jedi High Council, if they're telling us the truth. They usually keep this kind of stuff in house," he scratched the stubble on his jaw, his mind quickly working the problem.

"Exactly, Master Vandar says the success or failure of this mission will have far reaching ramifications for the Republic. Bastilla is the only Jedi to be on the mission, her presence deemed essential."

"It's basically an escort mission, though the final destination, I'm told, is undetermined at this time. The threat level is high, I'm assuming because of Bastilla. We all know about Bastilla's Battle Meditation capabilities, and I would imagine Malak would like some revenge for her killing his Master as well..." he trailed off as Carth's features tensed, instant hatred in his eyes.

"He's not the only one who'd like a little revenge, I only wish Revan was alive so I could personally exact a little vengeance myself," the Captain rubbed the back of his neck feeling much older than his forty years, he heaved a deep breath, his mind quickly dissecting all the information he'd received over the past hour from the Jedi and the Admiral.

His mind drifted briefly back to the day his home planet of Telos IV had been bombed into oblivion. It was Revan's order that his one time hero, Saul Karath, carried out. The thought of Saul made his blood instantly boil, and the thought of him still drawing breath was something Carth wanted to rectify personally. The Captain had been chasing after the slippery Sith Commander for years; but Saul was always one step ahead of him. Maybe this mission would finally give him the chance to not only take care of Saul but Malak too.

Ridding the galaxy of those two was worth almost any risk.

"You need to know one thing Admiral," making up his mind, the Commander pulled out a datapad from his jacket pocket and began punching at it busily while continuing to talk. "It may be Bastilla's mission, but it's my ship and crew and I will not hesitate on pulling the plug on this thing if I feel the need," Carth paused at the Admiral's held up hand as he nodded in agreement. "I mean it Paul," the suddenly energized Captain emphasized his last words.

"I know, I know and I wouldn't expect any less from you," the Admiral slapped Carth on the back, leaving his hand on his shoulder. "Word of warning Carth," he continued, while taking a hold of the Captain's arm with his other hand. "Be extremely cautious and don't trust anyone, especially this recruit transferred from Intel. You know that I agree with all of your reservations, but we really have no choice but to go along with this assignment and see where it leads. Doesn't mean I LIKE having you go off with so many unknowns," the Fleet Commander finished.

The two of them stood like that for a moment until Carth's comlink came alive with activity, his datapad flashing varied status reports from every department on the ship.

"Duty calls, Paul. Permission to return to the Endar Spire, Admiral?" Carth asked, coming to attention.

"Permission granted, Commander," Paul replied.

Carth gave a crisp salute to the Admiral, the kind you only see between experienced officers who really respect each other and military protocol.

"Safe travels my friend," the Admiral said returning the salute. "Keep me informed; I'll be following your progress very closely."

Carth eyed his datapad, then his comlink and gave the Admiral a quick nod, "Thanks, Paul. I'll send you updates," he acknowledged before turning towards the door, taking quick strides while talking into his wrist communicator.


	2. Chapter 1 - All Hell Breaks Loose

**Chapter one: All Hell Breaks Loose**

_I'm __not __concerned __about __all __hell __breaking __loose,__but __that __a __PART __of __hell __will __break __loose...it'll __be __much __harder __to __detect.__~**George **_**_Carlin_**

The all too familiar smell of recycled air greeted the Captain as he boarded the Endar Spire. He'd wasted no time getting back on board, happy he'd piloted his own fighter down to the base instead of having one of the two orbital shuttles take him. He'd chosen to stay in orbit over the base, though he could have landed the Endar Spire. It saved the Commander a lot of time doing it this way. Besides, he loved piloting a fighter and never missed an opportunity to do so when he could. The Republic Captain still saw himself as a stick jockey and continued to be one of the best.

Walking through the many corridors of the Hammerhead-class cruiser, he continued talking into his wrist, giving orders to his First Lieutenant Jake Stephens, while slowly making his way to the bridge, a task that was impeded by numerous staff members taking the opportunity to speak with him. Carth normally loved the opportunity to chat with his crew, but not today. He was late for a meeting he called of the Senior Officers.

Captain Onasi wanted to make sure everyone was as prepared as they could be. The experienced Commander wasn't leaving anything to chance. With a compliment of 300, able to house 400 passengers comfortably; turbolaser cannons, quad laser cannons, point-defense laser cannons, 12 Aurek-class tactical strike fighters, able to hold 4,000 tons of cargo, and 8 months worth of consumables, there was a lot to nail down before their departure.

When he finally made it to the bridge, he was met by his First, Jake, with a crisp salute, a hot stimcaf, and a loud "Attention on deck."

"Welcome back, Captain," Jake greeted him.

"Thanks, Lieutenant. Good to be back; let's have it, " the Captain said returning the salute, waiting for the soldier to give him the low down on what he needed to know without wasting his time on the less important items.

"At ease," Jake called loudly, before following his Captain to his war room as they'd come to call it. Some others called it the hot room, short for hot wash-up room. This was the place they'd always evaluate and review the failures of any given mission, all in a larger-than-life holographic image, making mistakes that much more agonizing.

The north end of the room contained a desk with several chairs in front of it. The center of the room had a large see-through conference table, which held view screens and had a holocron in the center, allowing for a 360 degree assessment of any past, present or ongoing action.

"Lot's of excitement on board with Bastilla's arrival," the shorter, stouter version of the Captain began. "I know you wanted to keep it quiet, but she's not, um exactly..." the Lieutenant paused, searching for the appropriate word.

"Unostentatious, subtle, low-key, quiet, understated…" the Captain offered and took a deep breath. Giving his head a shake, he took off his flight jacket.

"Don't worry about it, Jake I knew it was too much to hope for, but it was worth a try," throwing his jacket in a practiced move into his empty chair, he leaned back onto the front of his desk, waiting for his First to continue.

"She's brought a couple of, um, assistants, by the looks of them. They're Jedi too..." he trailed off.

Carth's brow puckered at that, "Assistants? Yeah, right. Body guards," he grumbled. "Did they all have security clearances?" he asked.

"They all checked out," Jake replied.

"What else?" Carth responded.

"All systems are a go and are fully operation, well except that the port hyperdrive compensator burned out during our last jump-" he paused as Carth interrupted.

"Doesn't sound like _all_go_,_ sounds like a broken ship to me, the opposite of a go, get it fixed Jake, _before_ you call a green board," the Commander ordered.

"Yes Sir, of course, it's being replaced, the ECT is 30 minutes from now," the Lieutenant put a datapad into his CO's outstretched hand.

Carth jabbed at the screen, taking sips of his stimcaf as he could. Jake continued to report on the Spire's mission readiness. The Captain looked up suddenly, staring at the Lieutenant, an unspoken question in his eyes.

"I postponed your briefing for you when I saw you weren't going to make it on time. They should all be here in the next five minutes," Jake replied quickly.

"Thanks, Jake. Don't know what I'd do without you," the Captain said as he finished gleaning the information he wanted from the datapad and handed it back to his First. "Oh, I didn't notice," he said using his head to gesture toward the datapad, taking a deep draw off his stimcaf.

"Did Kerkes and Ulgo make it on board yet? Hey, and forward their records to me for review," he was very interested to see what he could extract from those.

"Yes Sir, they're on board and I've sent you their records...now," he paused. "Wow, these are the nav points we're going to? Haven't been there in a while, Captain" Jake said surprised, punching busily at his datapad.

"The Outer Rim Territories, Taris system, the 5th planet in orbit," Carth paused thinking of the last time he'd been to the planet.

It had been the turning point of the Mandalorian War; he was a Lieutenant at the time for Saul. Taris had been the hub of the Republic defense because of its strategic importance being so close to the war front. The Republic had built a huge base on it and it was a flurry of activity.

The planet was also the unofficial headquarters of the Jedi dissidents who had joined in the war effort against the Mandalorians. It had been the secret home base of Revan and Malak during the entire war.

And it was now a Sith planet… with a Sith base on it. They were heading into extremely unfriendly territory to the Republic.

"Taris," he said thoughtfully, wondering what the sam hill the Jedi was hoping to accomplish here.

"Jake, as I recall there's an asteroid field there; we'll have to be extremely cautious. The scanners will be useless, we'll have to send out the fighters to do recon for as long as we're there," the Commander noted.

Punching at the console, he activated the holocron. The room lights dimming somewhat, it first showed the Outter Rim Territories, then the Taris System, then Taris itself, ending with the asteroid field. When he finished, the room was now full with his Officers reporting for their Mission Status Briefing with the Captain.

"Okay, you are all the best at what you do and I'm going to require that from all of you on this mission, and more. Before we start with our status briefing, I want to acquaint you with your first challenge. I want an action plan for a defense coming out of FTL near an asteroid field in hostile territory," Carth met the eyes of everyone in the room as he spoke.

It was many hours later before the exhausted Captain found his way to his quarters. It had been more than two days since he'd slept, living on stimcaf and adrenaline. The harsh bright illumination as he entered caused him to rub his eyes that already felt like they'd been stabbed with shock sticks. "Lights, night time setting," he said tiredly.

Grateful for the dim lighting, the Commander walked over to the small galley area of the large room. He picked up the coffee pot, his preferred beverage, and gave the metal container a shake. Empty. Water would have to do for now. Picking up a dirty glass from the tiny sink, he gave it a hesitant sniff. Satisfied it was clean enough, he opened the small fridge. Empty. Tap water it was. He'd had way worse, that's for sure. He downed it greedily, and after refilling the glass he made his way toward bed. The disciplined military man laid his jacket onto the back of a comfortable looking arm chair, retrieving his datapad.

Carth eyed the bed enviously, knowing how good it would feel to rest, if only for a few hours. He tossed the datapad on the bed, and sat the glass on the bedside table. Reading with interest as he unbuttoned and rolled up the sleeves of his shirt, he took a slow sip of the water as he digested the information. He sat the water down and fell onto the bed, datapad in his hand, leaving one foot on the floor. Every fiber of his body cried out in relief, and he allowed himself to enjoy it for a moment.

He'd left instructions with his First for a wake up in no more than three hours. The Commander wouldn't need it. He could never sleep before an important mission, no matter how tired he was. This was as close to sleep as it would get for him, at least for a while.

He rolled over for his water, took a sip and sat the fat glass on his chest.

"Well, let's see why the Jedi wants you on this mission, Privates", Carth said aloud. He found the files he wanted. One hand holding his water, the other hand his datapad, he read with great interest the record of Private Kerkes.

It didn't have much biographical information; she was an orphan. It did contain a military transcript of her highly specialized training, but because she'd worked for Intelligence everything else was a black hole, just as he suspected. Private Ulgo's file was just as bare, but it was because he was a raw recruit.

It was a mystery, and he hated mysteries. The Commander liked cold hard facts. He let the datapad fall beside him, deep in thought, sipping his water distractedly while lying down. It was like a kinrath pup chasing his tail; one fact led him to another, but never any answers. It was a never ending circle; nothing made sense. There was only one person who had the answers, and that was the evasive truculent Jedi. She was the key, and the Commander was determined that she would eventually have to give him more details. Until then he'd just have to wait, but he would be watching her very carefully.

"Jake?" Carth asked, punching at his comlink.

"Affirmative, sir," Jake responded, the sound of the bridge crew bleeding through.

"Assign a special liaison to Bastilla's party," the Captain ordered. That was their own code for an armed surveillance guard, someone who would watch their every move and report back to the Lieutenant periodically. He knew Jake would understand what he wanted without clarifying the order further.

"Understood, sir. Anything else, sir?" Jake asked.

"No, I'll join you in a few. Onasi, out," Carth said rising from the bed. He stretched and headed for a shower, anxious to feel the hot water on his aching muscles.

Plenty of time for sleep when this was all over, or when he was dead. He wasn't entirely sure which was more likely, given the uneasy feeling he had about this assignment.

The Commander let the scalding water run on his back for several minutes, lost in his thoughts. It felt even better than he'd anticipated.

Didn't matter if he died in the line of duty, he was a soldier's soldier, a patriot, so that was fine by him. In fact that's how he wanted to meet his end. Just so long as he was able to end Saul Karath first. That's all he lived for, the day he'd catch up to Saul and get his revenge.

He turned off the water, now ice cold. The soldier grabbed the nearby towel and dried off quickly, wrapping it around his waist on his way to the sink.

Carth quickly lathered up his face with the shave cream sitting on the counter a razor nearby at the ready. When he'd finished, he rubbed a hand over his face, testing his work. Satisfied with the job, he quickly dressed into his flight uniform. The Commander preferred this less formal way of dress; it was more practical, battle ready.

"I'm going to catch you this time Saul, and when I do you're going to regret what you did," Carth said to the empty room.

The Captain's chrono beeped at him, reminding him of the time. He shook off the dark shadows of the past, his thoughts now on the Endar Spire and her crew. Carth grabbed a bag from his closet, and picked up his flight jacket from the chair where he'd left it just hours before. The Commander emerged from his quarters anxious to get the mission underway, making for the bridge of the Endar Spire.

A tremendous flash of light blinded Traviata, her attempts to move her head futile as she violently tried to wrench her body free from an invisible force that was effectively and completely immobilizing her. Her eyesight returned, though hazy. Movement drew her eye. A dark haired woman, wielding a light saber, inched closer.

Two men flanking the woman dressed in tan tunics, carrying the same weapon, followed suit. All three apparently Jedi, she reasoned.

Again, a burst of splintering light, the air crackled and hissed. This time the brightness diminished, but still caused a mad dance of color before the soldier. The Jedi in tan raised their light sabers higher, seeming to repel the electrified air back at the source, followed by a loud agonizing groan.

Then all hell broke loose.

The frantic wail of klaxons, amidst the loud pounding of laser canons shrieked harshly around her. The acrid smell of burning electronics hung heavy in the air. Dust and smoke swirled about, looking magical in the flashing red lights now illuminating the space. The two Jedi in tan where sucked out of where a wall once was as an ear-splitting explosion rocked the room. The Republic soldier turned to run toward the door, relieved she was free from her sightless bonds.

It didn't matter. The ceiling collapsed and debris rained downed on her, cementing her to the floor.

Abruptly her body was slammed into the wall by the door, accompanied by the sound of her cracking bones at the force with which she made contact.

She was free once more. Again, it didn't matter; she couldn't move. Her body non-responsive, wracked with pain. The soldier lay there, impotent, gasping for every agonizing breath.

The room began to blur and her own heartbeat became the only sound she heard. Through a haze, the Jedi's face hovered over hers. Then blackness.

The Republic Private bolted upright in her bunk, gasping for air. The unmistakable smell of melting equipment burned her nose. She didn't care, her panting continued. Her eyes quickly surveyed the unfamiliar surroundings, wondering if the Jedi was still there.

That wasn't right though, this room was intact. It was also full of bunks and lockers. It looked like barracks. The bed shuddered violently under her while flashing red lights and shrill alarms began going off.

Bare feet hit the cold floor as she stumbled to the center of the room. The entry door snapped open with a noisy hiss. She stared at the tall, wide-shouldered, male profile in the doorway for a moment. The soldier's eyes searched the room frantically, looking for anything to defend herself with.

She grabbed the closest object her eyes came across: a black boot. Vee pointed the makeshift weapon at the door, trying to keep her balance as the ship shivered under her. Smoke wafted in behind the man, his head cocked a little sideways now.

"Really Vee? A boot?" the man said. "Blast it; don't you have your comlink? I've been lookin' all-" he started walking further into the room punching at the control behind him, shutting the door. The rest of his words were cut off by what happened next.

Vee's reaction was faster than lightening. Throwing the boot at the intruder's face, she was beside him before he could even think of dodging it. The startled soldier had him in a chokehold, one hand pinned behind his back, as his identity sunk in.

"Trask?" she asked, freeing her friend abruptly.

"Ye-ah," he cleared his throat, rubbing it.

Then the rest of it all came rushing back to her; she was on the Endar Spire.

A shuttle had brought her and Trask up to the Spire mere hours after their victory at the Academy.

After getting her official duty assignment, she'd met with her Squad Leader and was assigned to help out in the cargo hold. It was controlled chaos there. They'd had to haul jets to get everything stowed away before entering hyperspace. Once that was done, she'd been told to get some chow and rack time. The Private was new to the Spire; they were in a time crunch and didn't have the luxury of showing the ropes to the noobie.

She got it and it was fine by her, at the moment anyway. The soldier had stopped by Trask's quarters since they weren't too far from hers. The soldier had arrived with her friend, but they had been assigned to different squads. They'd parted company both promising to contact the other when they could.

She'd chanced upon one rushing crewman on their way out the door. When the soldier had asked about Trask, he said the new guy had just left, hurrying to his station. Satisfied it would many hours before Trask was free, she'd left. Exhausted, she'd skipped the chow hall and opted for a shower and was asleep before her head hit the pillow.

"What the frak is going on?" she asked, now foraging for her uniform, quickly getting dressed.

"Hells if I know," he muttered. "I think we've been boarded, Vee. Dead bodies everywhere... the blood. The Spire's a mess, debris all over, ship's on lockdown. Captain's given-" he stopped, his eyes meeting Traviata's as another huge shudder of protest erupted from the bowels of the mammoth vessel, the sound of screeching metal echoing throughout.

A ventilation cover fell down between the two of them with a loud thud. Smoke began pouring in from the opening. The pair glanced at the cover and then at the hole, producing the noxious fumes.

"-the abandon ship order, Vee," he finished.

"No defense? No other orders? That's it?" her eyes narrowed, surprised it got that bad so fast. She was moving swiftly around the room now as she spoke. The soldier retrieved her comlink from her bedside table, using her teeth to pull the strap, grabbing a boot with her free hand.

"Overwhelming force, no hope, the ship's a total loss," Trask quoted parts of the last orders he received.

"Got it," the astute soldier said with a firm nod. The distinct sound of distant blaster fire drove home the point. She now fully understood the gravity of their situation.

They'd be lucky to make it out alive.

"Let's go," Traviata shoved her foot into her boot as she moved to the door, clearly in survival mode.

"You have _any_ weapons?" she asked looking around the room for her missing shoe. Recollection lit her eyes when they came to rest on the contents of Trask's hand.

"Just your boot," he replied with a grimace, eyeing the offensive object she'd thrown at him earlier, beaning it at his friend. "We need to find the escape pods."

"We'll have to find whatever weapons we can along the way, in the mean time we'll have to go hand-to-hand," she said more to herself than to Trask, walking to the door.

The Republic pair darted down the first passageway, its floors slippery from fire dampening foam. Their urgent retreat was interrupted by a massive blast door. Not unexpected but inconvenient. Unruffled, Traviata hastened to the nearby control panel followed by Trask. She began to bypass the controls, her fingers flying, recoding the security before the system locked her out.

Success! The door opened with a whoosh.

Her friend's eyebrow arched in response. Traviata ignored her friend's surprise; she wondered what he'd think of all the skills she'd picked up over the years in Black Ops. She'd chosen not to share her considerable experience with him, with anyone at the Academy. Didn't matter at the time, it would only have made it harder to fit in.

It probably wouldn't matter now either, it was going to take a miracle to get them off this ship, she thought. The soldier eased her way forward, and then crouched at the sound of boots on deck plates.

She turned to Trask, motioned for him to wait.

Soundlessly the woman inched along the steel, pock marked panels, coming to a stop at the corner.

The sound of a blaster sizzling as it charged, was very close. Her muscles tensed, ready to spring.

The Sith trooper rounded the corner, his pistol raised. A swift forward kick to his chest sent him careening backwards, another to his weapon, sent it sliding across the floor.

The trooper quickly regained his balance, swung his arm and caught Traviata on the cheek, his significant armor tearing her skin where it made contact.

The Republic soldier staggered back, but quickly found her footing again. Aiming for the trooper's head and summoning all her strength she moved into a spinning side kick. The Sith grunted loudly, rocking back.

A loud whoomph accompanied the trooper crumpling to the ground.

Traviata's eyes darted to the source and there was Trask. She hadn't noticed him retrieving the pistol in the heat of the fight.

"Thanks, I owe you one," she said, crouching to the ground, relief flooding her.

Trask sped to his friend. Before they could take inventory of each others injuries, the ship lurched violently, sending them both crashing painfully into a doorway.

"I'm pretty sure that's not a good sign," Trask said.

"Agreed," Traviata replied, breathlessly.

Then the Spire went dark for a moment before the emergency lighting kicked in.

The pair exchanged startled looks, their blood rushing; they quickly righted themselves and tore toward the next set of blast doors. They didn't have much longer if they were going to escape.

"Enough! I'm not arguing about this anymore. You have to go now, this is not a council or a discussion," Carth shouted grabbing Bastilla by the arm.

"There's still time," the Jedi said breaking the Commander's hold on her, walking meaningfully to a large control console filled with monitors. "I will stay with you Captain, you may need help," her eyes scanning the myriad of readings flashing before her.

The Starship Captain's anger flared, briskly walking after her. "Believe me, the one thing I do not need is any more of YOUR help," he yelled.

"Besides, your _assistants _are doing the only thing we can do at this point, which is to hold off the scouts and help any of the crew escape that we can," Carth finished.

He'd been pleasantly surprised when Bastilla had offered the help of her Jedi companions to aid with fending off the boarding party. Many of his crew had escaped that wouldn't have stood a chance without them.

Of course the Jedi were the reason they were in this predicament. He'd had quite enough of the Jedi; the Sith Ambush confirmed every one of his misgivings about the mission. If he was going down with his ship, then so be it. But he was going to take as many of the Sith with him as he could. The Commander couldn't do that with the Jedi on board. His priority had to be in her protection, he had to keep Malak from getting his hands on her. Apparently they wanted her pretty badly judging by the amount of resources they were throwing at this attack.

There had been an armada of Sith vessels waiting for them when they came out of hyperspace, as well as an Interdictor-class ship he recognized as Saul's. Maybe he couldn't prevail against Saul with such overwhelming force, but he could keep him from his objective of capturing Bastilla.

The engines whined loudly, the ship pitched, and the emergency lighting flickered on.

The Commander let go a heaving breath as he debated picking up the woman and forcibly putting her into one of the few functioning escape pods still left on the Spire. He quickly cast that idea aside; would never work, she was a Jedi.

The sound of the automated warning system spurred Carth into action, causing him to switch tactics.

"Okay, Bastilla. You win. One condition though, you wait in an escape pod. You'll be available if I need you but it will give me peace of mind," he held a hand up as she opened her mouth.

"Now it's the only way I'll go along with you staying on board. You have to agree that Malak cannot be given the opportunity to get his hands on you," he paused at her begrudging nod. "I need to check on a few things, make sure everyone's off who has a chance to make it, and so on. The escape pods are just through there," he motioned with his head, and then walked the short distance to the companionway.

The Jedi hesitated, but followed. "Fine, Commander. As you wish," she said with unflappable poise.

Once they'd made it to the loading area, she stood outside the pod peering in quickly, but not entering the small vessel.

"Go on in, I want to make sure you know how to operate it," Carth encouraged.

"Really Commander, it's just one button operation`" her words were cut off as the pod door sealed. Surprise, understanding, anger, and fear played across the woman's face.

"I know. Sorry, but you'll thank me later, or not," he said with a shrug, pushing the com button. "Just stay out of sight until someone comes for you," the Republic soldier watched her give a frustrated pound to the port hole as the pod rushed out of sight toward Taris.

Feeling like he'd accomplished something monumental, the determined Commander hastened back to command. Never underestimate the resolve and creativity of a career soldier, he thought.

"Wait, I need a minute," Vee said breathlessly, her hands leaning on her knees trying to get some air. The O2 scrubbers were definitely not working and they'd been at an all out sprint through the ship.

Her friend stopped, putting a hand on her shoulder, "We're almost there now. Just through here, then a stairwell and we're on the command deck. At least, I'm pretty sure," he hesitated. "Maybe we need to check a map; next control panel," he finished, breathing heavy himself.

The whirring crackle of electrified air caused the private to stand upright. A brown clad man backed into visual range, expertly twirling a light saber. His eyes met hers, and he held up a hand, signaling them to wait.

A large, menacing, black robed figure came into view. He brought down his light saber. The Jedi countered and a fierce battle commenced between the two adversaries, their swords moving in tandem.

"I think we should do what he said," Trask whispered into Traviata's ear, his friend nodding in agreement.

It was over in seconds, the Jedi finishing off his opponent quickly. The man spoke into his wrist, his words unintelligible from where they were. He waved for them to join him. A huge jolt, followed by a thunderous boom, then a large steel girder fell on their protector, extinguishing both he and his light saber in one heartbeat.

The Republic pair stood momentarily shocked at what they'd just witnessed.

Traviata's hand found Trask's, as the possibility of their escape lessened with each moment that passed their precarious position never more evident than now.

"Trask, you know I love you, right?"

"Of course, I love you too. I've loved you from the moment I met you," he said giving her hand a squeeze, neither of them taking their eyes off the fallen Jedi.

Without further words the two hastily made their way around the rubble, racing once again for the command deck.

Carth flinched as the Jedi fell. The Commander had been gearing up, preparing to defend the bridge, when the man had briefly contacted him, notifying him that he was escorting two crewmen to him. The commander had brought up the surveillance images for that area in time to witness the Jedi's demise. Those two were all that remained of his crew, the rest were either MIA or dead, if they hadn't escaped already. The Republic soldier was going to do all he could to get them to safety. He wouldn't leave them behind if there was anyway possible to save them.

The Captain followed their progress with interest on the view screen, cycling through locations between them and the bridge. He paused now at the sight of a menacing Sith, his light saber attached to his side. His dark robe flowing, he made his way down the passageway where the two soldiers would soon enter.

The ship stuttered, causing Carth to grab the smooth cool metal of the console he was at. That would be the repulsor lift engine overheating; the seasoned pilot knew instantly by feel what was wrong without the need of the instrumentation. He jabbed busily at the panel, able to bring the repulsor back online, at least temporarily. Then brought up surveillance feed closest to the command deck blast doors.

"This is the Captain. I'll override the door for you, but be cautious. There is a Sith just around the corner as you enter. You'll need to go east, and then take the long way around to command," he paused at their startled expressions.

"Blast, what the hell?" Vee asked of no one really, looking around to determine where the voice was coming from.

"I've given you access, bring up the communications screen," he instructed, noting her confusion.

The Republic soldiers eyed the console warily, taken off guard by the unexpected assistance.

"What? Who is this," she asked as a fuzzy picture came up, making it difficult to make out his face.

"Captain Onasi," he informed her, wishing the interference wasn't so bad. He could barely make out their shapes, much less their faces or ranks.

"Oh, sorry sir," she said with a grimace, saluting the monitor, slipping back into military protocol.

"Don't worry about it. Did you get those instructions?"

"Affirmative, sir. Enemy to the west, avoid by going east, and take the long way home, got it sir," Kerkes acknowledged.

Carth smiled slightly. "Contact me when you've made your way around, and good luck."

They were all going to need it he thought to himself, his attention now drawn to the surveillance camera just outside the bridge entry. Several troopers had just poured into the area with heavy artillery. He glanced quickly at his chrono, then at the video feed showing Traviata and Trask taking the long way around to the bridge; he was going to have to buy the soldiers some time.

Traviata and Trask made it to through to the east side of the deck, only to be cut off by the dark cloaked figure just ahead of them... again. He must have doubled back and cut through one of the several rooms in the area. Vee's head craned up, mouthing several obscenities while Trask silently beat his forehead against the smooth metal of the wall. This was the second time they'd made the trek, only to have to turn around and double back again trying to avoid the malevolent being.

With a shrug, the woman turned walking the other direction, motioning her friend to follow. It was as if the Sith were toying with them, enjoying a game of cat and mouse.

"We'll just have to try again and hope he doesn't double back this time," she whispered when they were a safe distance away.

Trask just gave a slight nod as they back tracked, slightly trailing his friend. The sound of metal grinding against metal washed through the area as a large explosion rocked the deck. They carefully navigated their way around the fallen soldiers strewn all over. They'd seen them throughout the ship, but the command deck was hit the worst by far. The sickly sweet smell of spilled blood mixed with the acrid smell of melting steel permeated the air with the noxious odor.

Vee padded noiselessly down the corridor. Coming to a doorway, she paused, looked in to make sure it was clear, and then continued on to the corner. If it didn't work this time she was going to have to take drastic measures. She knew she was no match for the dark robed figure, but perhaps she could distract him long enough for Trask to make his escape.

The soldier held her breath and braved a look. She let go the breath when the hallway was empty of the Sith. The woman turned to her friend with a smile, surprised he was not right behind her. He was standing at the doorway, staring in the room at something. Then as if sensing her gaze he turned his eyes on her.

His eyes telegraphed it all to her; shock, fear, sadness, regret, love, acceptance and finally determination.

"No," she said barely audible. Trask took a step forward.

"NO, TRASK let me. He's too much for you," she shrieked, tearing toward him. He took a step into the room.

"RUN NOW, VEE," her friend yelled, the door shutting behind him.

Traviata raced up to the door and began punching at the controls madly. It wouldn't open. She had no time; she had to get in there.

"Captain?" the Private asked, punching up the com screen.

Carth had been busy himself, trying to protect their means of escape and keep the Spire in the air. Time was up on both counts now. The static over the com lines was so bad it was hard to hear or see anything. He punched at the controls, looking for a non-essential system he could re-route power from. Finally he decided to take it from life support, wouldn't matter soon anyway.

"Commander! I need your help. Please," she finished, wondering if he was even still alive.

"I hear you, crewman. What do you need..." he trailed off bringing up the cameras in the area. He saw Traviata at the control panel, obviously distraught.

"Open the door, I need to get in now, Sir," she stood up straight readying herself to speed through the door. "There's a soldier trapped in there who needs my help," she explained further.

Carth's brought up the camera for the room she was trying to gain entry to. His eyes narrowed at what he saw behind the door. He backed up the time sequence a bit and then played it through. The Commander watched it unfold from the time Trask had stopped in his tracks at the doorway. He flinched when he watched the young man meet his death at the hands of the dark Sith.

The Captain's muscles turned to granite, a muscle in his jaw twitched when he'd finished. He toggled the camera view back to the soldier; all he could see was her profile now as she stood expectantly at the doorway.

"No, he doesn't need your help," he said letting go a deep breath. "I won't open the door, you will only die too. I'm sorry to have to tell you that your friend is dead.

"I want you to listen to me very carefully. Your buddy, was an honorable Republic soldier and he gave his life to give you the chance to live," he paused a moment to let his words sink in.

"You owe him not to waste that chance; he made the ultimate sacrifice for you. If I open that door, you die, end of story. Then he sacrificed himself for nothing," Carth punched at buttons closing the blast shield at both doors, trying to buy her a few more moments. It wouldn't hold the Sith for long, not one as adept as he appeared to be.

"Crewman?" the Commander asked. "Crewman," tersely this time, hoping to snap her out of her lethargy.

"Yes, Sir," she replied automatically.

"You haul jets over here now; you've got no time, soldier," he shook his head slightly, cursing under his breath as he lost picture. He thought he made out her acknowledgement before losing sound.

The ship lurched forward violently, the Spire groaned from deep within, followed by a thunderous explosion. The bridge went silent, all the screens dark as the ship breathed it's last breath. The emergency lighting flickered momentarily, but stayed on.

And that would be the repulsor lift engine exploding and the ship would fall into an uncontrolled spiral now, Carth acknowledged to himself. The Commander flipped a screen that was not dark, it's independent power source keeping it functioning. Punching in a code, the silent self-destruct sequence had begun.

He dashed to his war room, retrieving his flight jacket and go bag sitting ready on his desk. He allowed himself one last lingering look, pausing at the doorway. He ran an affectionate hand over the arch, and sent out his silent thanks to the faithful ship.

The Commander threw his stuff in the one remaining escape pod without a backward glance and headed for the blast doors to the bridge. He could hear the sound of a fierce battle commencing on the other side. The Republic Captain jabbed at the controls, retrieving his blaster from his holster with his other hand. He dropped to cover as ricocheting blaster fire filled the tiny space, and his pistol shot a barrage at anything not in a Republic uniform. The Sith troopers didn't know which way to run; they were exposed on both sides.

"Come on, I'll cover you," the Captain shouted in the direction the crossfire was coming from, taking aim at his next target.

In response Traviata dove from cover, her stolen Sith blaster blazing, feeling a slight sense of satisfaction when she saw a Sith soldier fall. She began running full out now for the door where someone, she guessed the Captain, was covering her hasty retreat. The Private lunged onto the bridge, the blaster door shutting instantly behind her. The woman lay there for a moment heaving breaths, until she was offered a hand.

"Thank you, Sir," she said accepting his hand, allowing him to pull her to her feet. The soldier staggered slightly, her head throbbing, vision blurry. She wiped at the source of pain her fingers coming back covered with blood. That Sith she'd fought earlier must have gotten her worse than she'd thought, or she'd sustained injuries in the firefight she hadn't realized.

"Not a problem, glad you made it-" Carth started, his attention on holstering his pistol. Then his eyes swept her appearance, frowning slightly, when they came to rest on her face. "Private Kerkes, I believe?"

"Yes, sir," Traviata responded with a salute. She wondered how he knew her name; she didn't think she'd mentioned it earlier. Who knew though, with all that had been happening?

Carth's gaze narrowed, two people had died, one of them a Jedi trying to protect this woman. Now here she stood before him, the one Bastilla had specifically wanted for her special skills.

Sparks began flying from the blast door.

"Sir, I think we should get you to safety. Now," Traviata announced her gaze shifting from the door to the commander.

"Come on, Commander," Traviata said heading for the passageway that led to the escaped pods; she picked up a blaster from a nearby console, charging it. "We can't let the Sith capture you, Captain. We have to get you out of here."

"You need to stand down, Private. I don't know who you think you are, but I am still the frakin Captain on this ship and I'm the only giving orders on the frakin bridge," Carth's voice shook with fury, his eyes cutting into her with angry disbelief.

"Yes, sir, of course, sir. I didn't mean - it's just – I was only trying," she finally just gave up trying to explain, the look on his face told her he didn't want to hear it. "Yes, sir," she took a long breath.

He walked over to the only working control panel in the room once again. Carth shortened the countdown sequence, wanting to make sure that the Spire had the chance to take as many of the Sith with her as she could.

A large explosion shook the bridge as the blast doors finally gave way.

Carth covered their retreat, his blaster sending a spread of high powered blaster bolts into the throng of troopers. "Go," he shouted to the Private.

They took turns covering for each other, making their way to the escape pod.

The Endar Spire shook and rumbled as the explosions began in her core. The pod teetered, its seal with the ship coming loose. Realizing they were about to lose their only ride out of there, the Captain shoved Traviata forcefully into the pod, following behind her. His fist slammed the eject button, the door sealing instantly. The Spire let loose of the pod, propelling them toward the surface of Taris.

Carth looked at the unconscious form sprawled beside him, wondering if she'd been injured by the Sith or when he'd pushed her into the tiny vessel. He tried to reach some safety webbing to wrap around her, but they were pulling too many g's. He buckled himself in; the best he could do for Traviata was to wrap an arm around her, pulling her close to him as he tried to brace for what he knew would be the worst landing of his life.


	3. Chapter 2 - Rude Awakening

A/N: I want to thank all the awesome people who have read my story so far! I really appreciate the kind words. As I develop the rest of my story, I will simultaneously be working on revamping the beginning. Thanks again for all the constructive criticism. And now, the continuation...

**Chapter Two**

**Rude Awakening**

_Dreams have always expanded our understanding of reality by challenging our boundaries of the real, of the possible. ~**Henry****Reed**_

The dim light in the sparsely furnished one room apartment flickered; the ventilation system whined loudly before the room went completely dark and silent. With his elbows leaning on his knees, head bent down, and fingers threaded together, the Commander was sitting in one of two mismatched chairs in the makeshift windowless hideout.

His body betrayed his silent sarcastic laugh. It wasn't the first time they'd lost power in the bleak lower class dwelling.

What could you expect though; it wasn't like anyone would report it. Criminals of all types filled the decrepit building. He'd recognized several wanted bounty hunters by the Republic when he'd carried the unconscious Private Kerkes in the building. The people here were the type who didn't want to draw attention to themselves, which was the reason it was the perfect place for the Republic soldiers.

The war veteran had been in some tough spots before, but he couldn't remember any worse. The Endar Spire was destroyed; the crew was a total loss, except for a lucky few who managed to escape to the hostile planet. Even then, the pods weren't ideal for landing; they were designed to float in space until rescue. The escalating war had caused the Republic engineers to get creative though, to try to save lives, equipping them to land to predetermined coordinates. In this case it was the surface of Taris. The repulsor-lifts the pods were outfitted with though were small and that made for a treacherous landing. He wondered how many crewmen had escaped only to die from their injuries caused by the rough landing.

Bastilla was probably fine though. Jedi were tough to kill. The Republic Captain needed to search for her and get her to safety and off this hideous planet. It wasn't his first time on the ecumenopolis world that developed from prosperity and over population. No longer on the main trade routes and with its oceans polluted, the major corporations and employers of the poor fled Taris years ago. What remained were the very rich who lived in luxury and the destitute that turned to gangs for justice within their own ranks.

Carth frowned, examining his hands without really seeing. When he found Bastilla he had some hard questions for the Jedi. This mission that the Republic's fate hung on was a failure, the price tag for that was high, in human lives as well as resources. He should have followed his gut and stood firm in his initial refusal of the assignment. He let go a long breath, slowing standing.

The lights flickered back on while the ventilation motor whirred and went dead. The Captain walked over and gave the wall where the unit was housed a couple of hard pounds with his fist and it came back to life.

Groaning from the bed drew the Commander's attention, causing him to walk over to the second of the two uncomfortable steel chairs in the place. For a long moment he stared at the woman; he'd cleaned up her head wounds and applied all the first aid he'd brought. There was nothing else he could do, short of taking her to a doctor, which would only make things worse for her and him as well.

That was another thing that didn't sit right with him: Private Kerkes. It was extremely coincidental that she ended up a survivor out of the hundreds that perished. He was going to have some tough questions for her as well.

Why accept the demotion she chose to endure? She could have made a lucrative living with the skills she'd acquired in Intelligence. Maybe she was a patriot; more likely not. Carth almost felt guilty at such thoughts, watching her thrash and cry out, obviously having some sort of terrible nightmare.

The Commander leaned over to pull the dirty blanket up over her she'd managed to kick off, when the woman abruptly sat up screaming. Her fear filled eyes widened as she took in his appearance. Carth quickly dropped the blanket in his surprise.

"It's okay. You're safe," at least for the moment, the Captain added mentally.

Traviata's eyes took in her surroundings, her rapid heart beat pounding in her ears. She recognized nothing here, nothing at all. The soldier scurried trying to get up, only to fall back onto the bed, her head feeling like a wookie had used it for a drum. In fact everything hurt over her entire body.

"You're injured, you shouldn't move around too much for a while," Carth said helping to ease the tense woman's form back onto the bed, positioning her into a sitting position.

"Dre-aming,"she choked out hoarsely, her throat dry.

"Frakin nightmare by the looks of it," Carth corrected, handing her a beat up cup with water. "This will help; you've been passed out for three days. I tried to keep you hydrated, couldn't risk a doctor..." he trailed off, shrugging his shoulders. He'd done his best for her, but couldn't shake the guilt. Soldiers wounded in the line of duty deserved so much more.

She nodded, trying to make sense of it all, her eyes searching his face. "Where am I? How did I get here? More importantly, who are you?"

"You're on the planet Taris. We crashed here, after escaping the Endar Spire. I'm your Captain, Carth Onasi."

She nodded slightly and grimaced at the pain, her fingers going to her head, closing her eyes. The blanks were beginning to fill in, images of the battle on the Spire replaying themselves in her mind. She quickly passed over the memory of Trask's death, not wanting to think of it. Barely making it off the Spire, being pulled from the pod, it was all coming back.

"Right, sorry. It's coming back to me now," she informed him.

"Good, that simplifies things a bit," the Captain said with a nod and stood. He fished some tablets out of his nearby go bag, and handed them to the Private. "These will help with the pain."

The Republic soldier took the pills hoping he was right. "Thanks."

Her mind was trying to work through all that had happened. They should send a rescue team after them, especially for someone as renowned as the Commander. She'd heard his name thrown around lots at the Academy. He was well-respected by the teachers and students. They'd send in a small black ops team, a mission she might have been sent on if not for her transfer to Fleet.

Traviata's attention was drawn to her Captain as he walked over to the sink with her cup. When he returned he had two, and a couple of protein bars. He opened one and handed it to her with the water. They ate silently at first; she sensed he was bidding his time for something. It didn't matter, the medicine was starting to kick in and she let her mind wonder.

The Private studied him while eating, noting the lines of exhaustion and stress etched on his face. Further examination revealed various cuts, bruises and a couple of burn marks she thought. He wasn't wearing a uniform, in it's place were typical civilian clothes and a pair of blasters holstered low on his hip.

"Feeling better now?" he asked nonchalantly, taking a bite of the chalky substance.

"Much, thank you, Captain," she answered honestly.

"You can call me Carth while we're stuck here on Taris. What name do you go by?" the Captain asked.

"My name is Traviata, some people call me Vee," she said with a shrug. "How long do you think it will take the rescue team? Is there an ETA?" she asked.

"No rescue team will get on Taris, not now. There's a Sith blockade around the planet. We'll have to rescue ourselves, Traviata," Carth answered.

The Private wasn't crazy about her name, but it sounded different when he said it.

"What exactly is our situation, Carth? Why would they do that? I know you're an important member of the Republic Forces, but-" the soldier didn't get to finish her sentence.

"It's not ME they're after, it's Bastilla. She's here, marooned somewhere on this planet same as us," the Commander interrupted. "It does seem excessive, even for her; just makes me wonder if there's more to it."

"Bastilla? Who's that?" she asked. The name sounded familiar, but she couldn't place when she'd heard it.

Carth's expression remained the same, but the lines around his eyes tightened. "She's the one responsible for you being assigned to the Spire. You're saying you've never heard of her?"

"I may have heard her name in passing," her brow puckered in confusion. "What do you mean she had me assigned to the Spire? It wasn't just a regular duty assignment?"

"You were essential to her mission she said," Carth's eyes darkened. "She's the reason you were assigned to my crew."

"I had no idea Cap- Carth. Who is this person?" Traviata asked her eyes darting around the room, searching for the answer.

The Commander eyed her closely. She seemed genuinely confounded by the information, but it was impossible for him to accept that she knew nothing about why she'd been assigned to the mission.

"She's a Jedi, and coveted apparently by Malak, for her battle meditation," he held up a hand as she opened her mouth. "Don't ask me what it is, it's Jedi hocus pocus, that's all I want to know about it. It's supposed to be very powerful though, able to change the course of a battle."

"That's why they attacked our ship?" Traviata asked.

"Presumably. The fire power they had, an entire Sith armada, with the Leviathan to boot? Yeah, they were looking for something or someone. Probably, Bastilla-" he was cut off.

"Which is why we have to find her now, before they do. I bet they are combing this planet as we sit here," the excited Private interrupted.

"Yes, they've been searching for survivors for days," Carth put in. He'd stood many times at the door to the apartment with his blaster charged and ready as he heard the heavy boots of Sith patrols passing by. They'd been lucky in that regard at least; no one had even attempted to enter their tiny abode.

He could have left her to save Bastilla, Traviata thought. If so much was riding on her, then what was one soldier's life in comparison? Especially given the amount of death and destruction wrought in pursuit of the Jedi. Yet he'd stayed there, to save her, a nobody, just a black boot, a grunt.

"We should get going then; check in the pubs, shops. I think the bars are our best bet first and then take it from there," the private said.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. First, you're not in charge here. I am. I will be making all the decisions. Just because we're on a first name basis right now doesn't mean we're equals in this situation. You follow my instructions, to the letter. Understood?" his eyes held hers looking for acknowledgment before continuing.

"Yes, sir, but, sir if-" she stopped mid sentence.

Carth shook his head in frustration, "You had it at 'yes, sir.' When I want your input I'll ask for it. I know I don't have to explain the reasons for the chain of command to you."

"Yes, _sir_," she responded a little sourly. She was just trying to help; in these circumstances she could really be useful. Her training was geared for exactly this type of situation.

"Better. Second, you've been seriously injured Traviata. I want you to stay here for a while and rest. I'll go out and do some recon, get some supplies and we'll see how you're doing when I get back," Carth finished. His mind already racing ahead to what he needed to do next.

The surface of Taris was largely covered with towering buildings that reached for the stars. Built in a time of great prosperity, each structure was designed to outshine the one before it. The people who lived on the surface of Taris were a parity of that ideal in the way they dressed as well, Traviata reflected as they trekked across one of the many thoroughfares.

She knew that in the shadows of the newer buildings where the ultra rich lived was a very different world. It was a reality where the abandoned, sick, forgotten and poverty stricken lived. The very building they'd been staying in was a prime example. The lower the level of the city, the worse it was.

The Republic soldier and her Captain had been searching for Bastilla relentlessly. They lost no time, once she'd convinced Carth she was well enough to move around. Her head still hurt a lot more than she let on, and today even more so as the day wore on. What she'd give to lie down for a few hours with a cryo pack on her head. No time though, they just got the break they'd been hoping for.

They were on their way to a meeting with one of the heavy hitters in the local crime syndicate. He was a bounty hunter for one of the major players and had his finger on everything related to people coming and going in that sector. They were assured if he didn't know, then no one would. Traviata rubbed her temple trying to ease the discomfort as they plodded along.

She watched the people as they traversed the city, the elite dressed in their finest, with their noses stuck up so high they had to be faint from lack of oxygen. Traviata was glad the Commander had warned her about it and some of the other problems with Taris. He'd told her it would test her patience and ability to keep her mouth shut, but that in their present circumstances they couldn't draw attention to themselves so neither of them had any choice but to keep silent.

He also confided with her that on more than one occasion he'd gotten himself involved in a few unpleasant situations while stationed here. He wouldn't elaborate on the details, but Traviata had the distinct impression that the altercations had become physical.

During Carth's time stationed on Taris, during the Mandalorian war, he'd witnessed all kinds of social injustice. It really bothered him that there was such bigotry against off worlders there, especially non-humanoids. It boggled his mind that people could actually be so filled with hate for someone for no real reason.

After spending several days going about the city that never slept, she'd come to exactly the same opinion as Carth. One situation they'd found themselves in, surrounded by a group of hate mongers, led by one prejudiced man, the Commander had to take Traviata by the arm and pull her away. She had so badly wanted to punch the brain bolted moron. Carth had told her he agreed with her and wanted to do the same, but it would mean a death sentence for them both if they called attention to themselves. Bastilla and the Republic were counting on them, and that was their priority; they couldn't lose focus on their mission, which was to find Bastilla and get her off the disgusting planet. What he'd said made sense to her, but she'd still so badly wanted to put her fist in the man's face.

Traviata let go a long breath, she wondered if when they escaped the planet it would be the last time she'd see the Commander. They had been constant companions for several days, and it gave her an empty feeling to think of them going their different ways. Perhaps it was because she was filling the void of losing Trask with her enigmatic Captain, she reasoned. Thoughts of Trask caused a fresh wave of pain and guilt to wash over her.

She'd always felt a close bond with Trask but it had been a feeling like she'd imagined you'd have with a little brother. Trask had attempted to advance the relationship into something more a couple of times, but her lack of response had deterred him from trying further. Traviata just had never felt that type of attraction to him, though she'd adored him. She swallowed painfully, trying to stem the tide of rising emotion, her thoughts returning to Carth.

She had a much different feeling for the Commander, she admitted to herself furtively glancing at him. He stirred something deep within her, he touched her heart without even trying to. She couldn't remember ever feeling this way about anyone ever before.

She shook her head at the crazy vein her thoughts had gone off into, which was a mistake, because that made her head start to pound even more. The Private pinched the bridge of her nose in response, hoping for any relief.

"Let's stop over here for a minute," Carth said pointing to a bench in a nearby alcove. "I want to check the datapad for directions, make sure we're not going around in circles... again," he offered.

The Commander had been noticing Traviata's quietness and that she was obviously suffering greatly from her head injury. He had resisted her accompanying him at first on his searches for clues on Bastilla's whereabouts, but the truth was that from the beginning she'd been such a help with her knowledge of languages that he'd allowed it. It was something he felt guilty for and was going to try to remedy as soon as he could.

Carth let his pack slide off his shoulder, sitting it on the bench, retrieving a large bottle of water.

"Here," Carth said handing her the container.

"Thanks," she said, before taking several large gulps. "I think we're headed the right way, we just go over there to the east turbo lift," Traviata said offering the beverage to him.

He appeared not to hear her, furiously keying at the datapad.

"Carth?" she said, jostling the bottle.

"Oh, thanks. In a minute, I'm checking something," his eyes briefly looking to her and back at whatever was engrossing him.

Giving up Traviata drank some more, sat the bottle beside her and laid back on the bench, closing her eyes. She didn't move when she felt him sit beside her. "Looking for the Chin-Bret scores?" the Private threw at him, knowing that information would not be available on a Sith ruled planet.

"Maybe I was. You know I did have a lot of money riding on last week's game," Carth said with a slight smile. "Coruscant has an amazing team this season, Trevonway was supposed to start, it was a sure bet," he said, his voice tinged with regret.

"Sure bet? I'm surprised you'd consider anything a sure bet. In fact, I'm a little surprised you bet at all," she replied wryly.

"There are a few sure things, not many, granted," Carth paused, "You know being a starship captain, planning and executing a mission to secure an objective, is a lot like betting. That's why I have a weakness for chin-bret and sabacc," Carth responded.

"You're saying your position is just a game to you?" she taunted mildly, opening her eyes looking at him blankly. She knew what he was getting at, but for some reason she enjoyed teasing him.

"What? Of course not," he shot back irately, trying to read her expressionless face.

"I'm saying that the strategy behind a well played game like sabacc especially is similar, with the obvious difference of the stakes involved," he paused, noting the smile now on her face, her eyes dancing with laughter. "You knew what I meant. You played me," he added.

"Sorry, I couldn't resist," she said lightly. "You know, there's no one who could ever question your loyalty or commitment to the Republic and the Fleet. You're practically a legend at the Academy," she finished.

"They must be getting hard up for material then. Anyway, legends rarely live up to reality and if you put too much faith in people, they will let you down," he said with a grimace.

"So far you haven't disappointed," she commented.

"Take it from me, don't trust anyone. Not me, no one, no exceptions," Carth shot back.

Traviata stared at him for a long moment and shook her head slightly. "Sorry Commander, but I trust you and I'm betting on you," she returned.

Carth's gaze tightened and he let go a long breath. "You're stubborn, but I bet you already know that."

"You have no idea, plus I hate losing and you're a sure bet, Commander. I've been known to play a hand or two of sabacc myself. You're not the only one who likes to gamble," she added with a crooked smile.

"That wasn't the point I was trying to make, but you already know that," he said with a grimace. "Damn stubborn," he added distractedly, watching the way the wind played with her hair. He found himself briefly imagining playing sabacc with her, knowing intuitively it would be a great game. She was attractive, and he wasn't above noticing a beautiful woman, but she wasn't his typical type. Still, he couldn't deny she affected him. He pushed away the thought, not sure where it came from.

"You feel better, ready to move on now?" He asked, checking his chrono. He really wanted to have enough time to make one stop before their rendezvous with the slime ball they were meeting at the cantina.

"I'm fine, you didn't have to stop for me," Traviata replied defensively, getting quickly to her feet.

Carth didn't say anything, just nodded and stood picking up his bag; slinging it over his shoulder he started walking.

"Wait where are you going?" she asked, her brow knitted together. Carth was heading for the turbo lift opposite from the one she knew they should take.

"Detour and it's a short cut," Carth said a little too casually, thumbing the control for the lift.

Traviata shrugged, hoping they didn't end up lost. "If you're sure, we don't want to be late and since we stopped to rest..." she paused at his expression.

"It's not up for a vote, Traviata. We're going this way," Carth shot back tersely.

"I know, you're the boss," she added. "Just trying to make sure we don't get lost again. It's not exactly hard to do here." The place was like a maze, some of the buildings were interconnected, some not, and specific lifts took you to different sides of the city.

Carth's knowledge of the area, from his time spent there during the Mandalorian wars, was helpful. It was still a crap shoot sometimes though; on a few occasions they'd ended up in completely different sectors than they had planned on.

The Commander felt a flicker of annoyance at once again having to remind her who was in charge. "There's plenty of time, and I want to check something out on the way," his look conveying his displeasure at having to explain his actions. The whirring sound of the lift announced its arrival. "You know, if that's okay with you," he said over his shoulder entering the lift.

"Sorry," Traviata offered, following him in, leaning against the cool steel of the wall. She'd done it again, made him mad. The Private closed her eyes momentarily at the throbbing in her head.

Carth took in her features for a moment; she'd really been through a lot over the past week, even for a soldier. The Republic Captain new Intelligence wasn't really big on protocol. The Private had carried the rank of Lieutenant before her transfer and was probably used to telling people what to do most of the time. That had to be a tough adjustment, getting busted down to a Private. He'd love to know the story behind that; there had to be one.

Onasi, you are getting soft, and that will get you killed, he reminded himself ruefully.

"I know that it's an adjustment starting all over like you are at Fleet. Think of it this way Traviata, even if you'd kept your rank when you were transferred, I'd still out rank you and you'd still be having to follow my orders," Carth offered.

"It's not that, it just comes out. I've spent my life training for this type of situation. I respect you and your rank, sir. Honestly, I'm really just trying to be helpful," Traviata promised, her eyes now wide open. The turbolift shifted, propelling them closer to their destination.

"I bet it was hard cutting all your ties with your family and friends," Carth thought out loud, curious about her. "You know during your time in Intelligence," he explained. He couldn't imagine anyone giving up their family willingly, but people did it everyday.

"Not really, I'm an orphan, was a ward of the Republic since before I can remember. The closest family I really ever had was Trask," Traviata trailed off, her eyes revealing her pain at the memory.

Carth nodded, "Sorry, I know it's hard to lose someone you're close to."

"I'm sorry too, you know for the rest of the crew. Well- and I don't know about personally - for you I mean," she stammered and then took a long breath. Idiot, she told herself. As long as he's been in service, he's learned how to deal with it and certainly had to deal with people dying long before now.

"Anyway, what I'm trying to say is, I guess we've all suffered losses in this war one way or another. We've got to find a way to stop the Sith, and it better be sooner than later, judging by this latest move," they were invading more territory everyday.

"This is nothing, they've obliterated worlds. Destroying ships and planet blockades are just their SOP," Carth bit out, his temper flaring. "We _will_ stop them, there's no question of that. I will not stop until that happens and when I get my hands on him, he'll regret what he did," he said, steel in his voice.

Traviata's eye brow arched at his angry emotional response, "He? Carth? Who do you mean?" Traviata asked.

"Forget it," he dismissed her question, his face now a mask. Carth didn't know what it was about this woman that made him do and say things he didn't do with other people. He had enough of it though; this was not something he had any desire to discuss.

"I want to know, Carth," Traviata said earnestly. "It seems like there is more to this for you, personal in some way." She didn't mean to, but the Private had definitely touched on a hot button topic for the Commander. The awful thing was that now she was really driven to find out what had happened. Something terrible, that much she was sure of.

"That's right, it is personal, that makes it none of your concern," Carth barked, his eyes flashed in anger.

Traviata's eyes narrowed in response, "Maybe I don't see it that way, Carth. I think you need to talk about it-"

The sound of Carth's palm pounding the wall in the small area stopped Traviata from completing her thought.

"Enough already! Damn it, will you leave it the frak alone?" he thundered, his eyes boring holes into her.

Traviata met his gaze unflinchingly. "Okay, fine. I will for now."

"You had it at okay, just okay. Why the frak do you always feel the need to ruin it with what comes after you get it right? Don't answer that, it was rhetorical," he paused, slipping into his Commander tone. "You need to get your mind focused back on our mission, we both do," Carth's gaze went to his datapad and didn't look away from it until the lift doors opened with a loud hiss. Then he quickly walked off toward whatever destination he had in mind.

It only took a few minutes and they were at the entrance to a clinic. Traviata didn't want to ask him why they were there, not in his current mood. Carth entered without a backward glance; in fact he hadn't looked in her direction or said one word on the way there.

A slight man, with white hair greeted them with his gentle tone as they entered.

"Greetings," a quick glance told the man they were not the normal citizenry of Taris and he wondered what brought them to his clinic.


	4. Chapter 3 - Startling Discoveries

**Chapter ****Three**

**Startling ****Discoveries**

_Doubt is a pain too lonely to know that faith is his twin brother. - _**Khalil ****Gibran**

"Forn Zelka?" Carth asked.

"I am Forn Zelka," the white-haired man answered with some trepidation. "How can I assist you?" he asked eyeing the obvious military that had entered his clinic.

Carth glanced over at Traviata; he inwardly smirked as she absentmindedly browsed the contents on the many shelves and tables in the room. The doctor had quite a vast selection of remedies and equipment, an astonishing feat for such a small facility.

The Commander had come to the clinic because of a conversation he'd overheard at one of the many cantinas they'd been in; as luck would have it, they'd been speaking in basic and Carth hadn't needed Traviata to translate.

Apparently Forn Zelka was known for helping those who needed it (the no-questions-asked type of help). He also had a reputation for being a Republic sympathizer; Carth needed to know if it was true.

"My friend here needs some medical attention, as well as your discretion; I was told you could provide both," Carth answered cautiously.

"I see. What kind of discretion?" the Doctor asked guardedly while slipping his hand into his jacket pocket.

"Doesn't matter really, does it? Is it true?" Carth's thumb discreetly freed his blaster. Forn's move hadn't gone unnoticed by the Commander.

"Are you with the Sith? I've done nothing-" Forn said defensively.

Traviata had eased her way to the opposite side of the room, feeling drawn there. She noticed a control panel next to a closed doorway; silently, slowly, she worked her way over to it.

Carth had the doctor engrossed with their conversation and he wasn't paying any attention to her now. Urged by some feeling she couldn't understand, she started to rewrite the security code to open the passageway. She caught the Captain glancing at her a couple of times, but the doctor seemed oblivious to her actions. Traviata continued until a loud hiss came from the sides of the door revealing an attached room. She looked up feeling their eyes upon her.

"What are you doing? Stay away from there!" Forn shouted angrily.

Traviata took a step in the room and let out a loud gasp at the sight before her. She recognized the heavy sound of Carth's footsteps come up behind her, followed by a lighter, quicker pair. The walls were lined with glowing, bubbling tanks of liquid. Each tank contained a severely injured and mangled body. A large steel examination table was in the center of the room, covered in blood and littered with used surgical instruments.

The sound of a charging weapon caused Traviata to turn, her pistol in her hand. Carth held his particularly nasty looking blaster at the doctor.

"Even as deformed as they now are, I recognize a few of them from the Spire. The one on the end was one of the best fighter pilots I had. They're Republic soldiers, Traviata," Carth said aloud.

"They're not Republic soldiers. These people were wounded in a tragic speeder accident," Forn muttered.

Carth's eyes narrowed at the lie, his grip on his weapon tightening.

"Wait, what do you mean you recognize them? You're a pilot? Were you on the Republic vessel?" Forn asked with sudden realization. Carth heatedly pushed his blaster against the man's forehead.

"I was their Captain! I'm also the last face you'll ever see if you don't answer my questions carefully, Zelka. How many others have you tortured for the Sith?" Carth spat out.

"What? No- I-" Forn stammered.

"Sick, twisted, bastard. Rip them apart, put them on ice to let them heal, and then do it some more. Never again!" the Commander ground out.

Traviata's eyes darted to the tanks on the wall; instinctively she moved closer to examine them.

"You have one chance to save your sorry excuse for a life. And don't lie to me! Did you do this to Bastilla, too? Is she even still alive?" Carth's voice was dangerously in control. He had no problem killing the Sith scum; in fact he was hoping for an excuse to pull the trigger.

"Bas-s-tilla? I- I don't have a patient named Bastilla... that I know of. S- some of these soldiers didn't have ID, so... If she was in one of those pods, she's probably dead by now, or gravely injured if she didn't receive prompt medical attention, I'm sorry to say," Forn replied.

Traviata punched at the display in front of one of the tanks, pulling up the patient info. _Patient_, he'd said. Patient, not prisoner. She scanned the detailed file of all the doctor had done.

"She's tough to kill, I'll bet she's fine and just hiding out from the likes of you, then," Carth said, his finger tightening on the trigger.

"Carth!" Traviata ran up to Carth's side. "It may not be what we thought, just wait."

The Commander's shocked eyes shot down meeting Traviata's; he didn't lower his weapon.

"I just read a patient file, Carth. He's been treating that man there," Traviata said pointing to the tank.

"Trying to save his life, not hurt him. He's on a considerable dosage of pain medication. According to his records, he has been since being rescued," she finished. She lightly tugged at his blaster arm trying to get him to lower it. His arm was frozen in place.

"Please, Carth. Go look for yourself," she pleaded. She knew he would never forgive himself if he killed not only an innocent man, but someone who'd been helping the Captain's crewmen.

"I'll watch him while you look," she said targeting the doctor, fixing her eyes on him.

Swearing under his breath, the Commander slowly lowered his blaster.

Traviata could hear the medical monitor being keyed up, then the light beeping and tapping as Carth brought up additional records. Next she heard him walk to the adjoining tank, then another, and another. He checked every one of them before returning.

"Stand down, Traviata," Carth said, coming to stand along side the woman.

"It seems I owe you a debt of thanks, Doctor Zelka. Not to mention one enormous apology," Carth apologized with a small smile, holstering his weapon. "With everyone around here trying to kill us, I just wasn't expecting this. I'm so thankful for the compassion you have shown my crew," he added, his eyes never leaving the doctor's.

"I understand," he paused, nodding his head. "Quite understandable my boy," he let go a long breath. With these Sith animals in charge here, who could blame you for thinking the worst," Forn said. Slapping Carth on the arm he walked over to the tanks. "Excuse me just a moment, I need to check on my patients," he said already busily tapping away at the screen.

Carth watched the odd little doctor go about his work, so engrossed that he'd seemed to have forgotten their presence or that the soldier had almost made him a wall stain just moments earlier. With a slight shake of his head Carth turned to Traviata, still standing beside him.

"I owe you a debt of thanks too," his eyes held hers. "How did you know?"

She shrugged her shoulders, "I saw a name on one of the tanks, and I thought it was odd for a Sith sympathizer. When I looked further I discovered names on every tube. Usually people in the business of torture number their subjects, they de-humanize them. I checked the records and found he's been trying to keep them alive," she paused, swallowing hard. "Carth, most will die I think. He's done all that could be done for them, the best I can tell, but they were all severely injured."

Carth nodded, "So he knows what he's doing? I mean he seems a bit..."

Traviata smiled, rubbing at her temple distractedly. "He is a different little guy, but I'd say he's a competent doctor, judging from what I read."

"That's what I thought too, wanted to make sure you agreed. You've had some medical training, more than me at least, according to your record," Carth explained.

"Not much, just your basics really, some anatomy that type of thing. I'd say he was a more than adequate physician," Traviata replied.

"I've got no other choice. That'll have to be good enough under the circumstances," Carth said as if to himself, seeming to have made up his mind about something.

Without warning he scooped Traviata up off her feet and carried her to a clean exam table in the front of the facility. He sat her down gently. Putting a hand on either side of her on the table, he leaned over, making them eye level. They were so close they were almost touching. Traviata stared at him, in too much shock to find her voice.

"It seems I've finally found a way to leave you speechless, Traviata. I'll have to remember this next time you don't know when to shut up," Carth said with a wink.

Traviata's mouth went dry, her heart beating quickly. Her mind raced, searching for a clever retort, any response. She couldn't find her voice and just sat there, lost in his gaze.

"Hey, Doc. I've got another patient for you in here," Carth called over his shoulder. When he turned back his eyes held Traviata's for a brief moment, and then he walked away after activating the privacy screen.

The doctor quickly padded his way to the table, instructing Traviata to lie back, he tapped at the bioscanner.

Carth rested against a nearby table, his datapad now in his hand. He still hadn't heard Traviata utter one word; yeah, definitely going to remember this, he thought with a smile.

It didn't take long before the doctor was finished. "Well, she had a skull fracture with a subdural hematoma. It's good you got her here when you did, I'm sure she's been in considerable pain," the doctor said with a tsk, tsk. "I was able to heal her completely."

"Great, Doc," Carth offered. "I don't know how to thank you for all you've done for my crew."

"I just wish I could have done more for you both," Forn paused. "Well maybe I can, you two need to get off Taris. They have search parties everywhere looking for survivors. It's only a matter of time before you'll get caught. I know a bounty hunter; he comes in here all the time. He owes me quite a debt," his eyes met the Captain's. "Time for him to pay up I think; if anyone can get you out of here it's him. Oh, he's tiresome, loathsome, and offensive, but he's tough and resourceful and works for the most powerful crime syndicate here on Taris."

"Thanks," Carth's eyes lit up with the news. "We've got something we have to do first though."

"Ahh, search for this Bastilla I presume," Forn said.

"That's right, Doc." Carth looked to the sound of Traviata's footsteps. The lines of pain that he'd become accustomed to were no longer etched into her forehead. Her eyes, with her unspoken gratitude, met his. He nodded to her, acknowledging it as she came to stand beside him.

"I'm interested though and would really appreciate you making the introductions if you wouldn't mind," Carth paused. "If you could just send me a message with the time and place. I don't want to involve you anymore than you already are. In fact, when we leave you should come with us," Carth offered.

The little doctor was already shaking his head, "No, no. I am going to the under city. I've made all the arrangements to have all of this moved. There are many people who depend on my help here, and I can't leave them. I will send you the information on the meeting though when I get it."

"I understand," Carth affirmed with a nod. "You're a good man Forn, I'm honored and glad I had the opportunity to meet you," Carth said extending his hand.

"Oh, it was my honor, my boy. Anytime I can help a soldier of the Republic. Oh, how I miss the old days when the Jedi and soldiers were here. Who can forget when Revan and Malak roamed our streets? The Republic military vessels in and out of our ports. I could tell you stories, my boy! Stories you wouldn't believe..." the doctor trailed off as Carth walked to the door, clearly not interested in war stories regarding Revan and Malak.

"Thank you again, Forn," Traviata gave the man a slight hug and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Don't pay him any attention, it's not you; he gets like that anytime those two are brought up," she whispered in his ear.

Understanding came to the doctor, as he nodded his head. "Yes, tsk, tsk. Such a terrible tragedy, what happened to those two," he paused. "We mustn't give up hope my dear, always remember that."

"Traviata? We need to leave," Carth said over his shoulder, not sparing a backwards glance.

"Gotta go," Traviata said, glancing over at Carth quickly.

"Bye, bye, my dear," Forn said waving at the soldier, his eyes glazing over lost in his memories of days past.

"You could have said goodbye. He didn't mean anything by what he said," Traviata chided as they put distance between themselves and the clinic. She made several other attempts at small talk with him, but it was like talking to a brick wall. Finally she gave up, and they continued on in silence until they were in the pub for the meeting with their contact, Rex.

They asked at the bar for him and he was quickly pointed out to them by the bartender.

"Three Corellian whiskeys and keep them comin'" Traviata ordered, handing the bartender a wad of credits.

"Is that absolutely necessary?" Carth asked with a raised eyebrow. "I mean the Corellian is really pricey to waste on this scumbag. I worked hard for my money you're spending on all the lowlifes."

"I'm sorry, really. But it'll be worth it if we get what we need, don't you think?" she asked.

"That's a very large and expensive _if._" He rolled his eyes. "Okay, let's get this over with," Carth said.

* * *

Carth unbuckled his blaster holster, charging the weapon in one unnoticeable movement. He didn't understand what was being said, but he recognized the sound of a weapon being powered on. The soldier pushed himself slightly back from the table, his gaze taking in his companions. Traviata was sitting closely to his left, Rex was seated in the corner directly across from the pair.

Traviata bent forward to lean over the table, her voice low. Whatever she said caused the bounty hunter to power off his weapon. She fished out a stack of Republic credits, placing them in a pile on the table beside her, sitting back into her seat. The bartender brought over three more whiskeys and sat them beside her. The Private downed the one in her hand, giving the glass to the bartender. Carth's sat untouched. She slid a glass to the center of the table and then the pile of credits.

The man reached forward for the credits. The mercenary found his arm pinned in one quick movement, the Private hunched over the table, bringing her face so close to his they were almost touching. Carth let his hand rest on his blaster, his face stone, all his muscles tensed.

The woman's tone was icy as she spoke, using a finger of her free hand to jab at the table for emphasis. With a slight nod from the man and a few mumbled words, she released him. Her eyes met Carth's steely gaze. "Time to go," she murmured, rising from the table.

"Right," the Commander's athletic form was instantly upright, the sound of the chair scraping against the concrete noticeable, even in the noisy cantina. Carth placed his hand on Traviata's elbow, guiding her through the crowd, pushing their way out of the packed bar. He hated not knowing what just happened, though he had a pretty good idea.

"Let's hear it," Carth leaned in, speaking quietly in her ear, as they exited the building.

"Bastilla's being held by a gang with a hideout in the sewers, and they're hoping to sell her to the highest bidder. They know she's a Jedi, but nothing else apparently. Shouldn't be too difficult to get her out," she offered.

It was a long moment before Carth said anything. "Yeah, it just sounds off. How can they hold her, unless she's injured," he scratched at his chin thoughtfully. "He say anything else?"

"Nothing of importance, I'm pretty sure he was telling the truth though," she offered.

"Great, we're reduced to taking the word of bounty hunters now," he shot back sarcastically. "It got a little tense in there, what was that about?" his eyes narrowed slightly waiting for her response.

A group of obviously inebriated men passed by.

"He tried leveraging for more credits, you know the type. He wanted to know why we were looking for Bastilla and then he made comments about us obviously being off worlders and how the Sith were looking for Republic soldiers who crash landed on the planet," she shrugged. "It's okay though, I made it work for us," she paused as another group walked by.

Carth let go an exasperated sigh and, taking her by the elbow once again, he led her to a nearby apartment entrance.

"How? What did you say?" Carth asked, his hand guiding her to a quiet passageway.

"I told him how smart he was and how he was right. Then I told him we weren't trying to rescue the Jedi, but capture her. That we were changing sides to the Sith and needed a gift to prove our allegiance, if we hoped not to die, that-" Traviata stopped Carth's grip becoming vice like on her arm, his pace quickening.

"Ouch, Carth, a little tight," she looked up at his face, the look in his eyes murderous.

He pulled her a little further down the hallway and when they came to an empty room, he pushed her in letting her go abruptly, causing her to stumble, almost falling.

"You did WHAT?" Carth asked quietly, practically ripping the pack from his back, letting it land with a thud to the hard metal floor, barely keeping his anger from erupting into violence. He wanted to make sure he heard her right.

"I said we were traitors to the Republic, looking for a prize to save our skins and get off this wretched planet," Traviata got out, before he had grabbed her upper arms.

"You never say those words. EVER! Not under any circumstances," Carth thundered.

"You don't think I meant them, do you?" Traviata's mind raced, trying to understand his extreme response to her rouse.

"Well, did you?" he asked in his quiet tone she recognized as barely controlled fury.

"How can you ask that, Carth? I swear, what the hell is wrong with you? What the frak was I supposed to say? Pardon me, sir, but we've misplaced our Jedi, can you tell us where she is?" Traviata's voice rose, her own anger rising. "He's a frakin' bounty hunter."

"Anything but what you said would have been fine. Those words are never okay, even if your life depends on it. That is the one thing a soldier is willing to die for. Loyalty to the Republic," Carth said tersely with an accusing glare.

"I'm just as loyal as you are, Captain Onasi. I had to think fast and it was the most plausible thing I could come up with off the top of my head. This guy hunts frakin Republic officers for the credits. It's been like a damn holiday for him since the Endar Spire blew up and Republic soldiers started raining from the sky!" she finished. "I was just trying to save our collective asses and find out where Bastilla was. I did what I had to do to save us and her. End of story."

"The question then is this, Traviata. How far are you willing to go to save your ass... or others for that matter? What line wouldn't you cross? This isn't a gray area. I need to know, right now," Carth's grip tightened as he pushed her up against a nearby wall.

Stunned, Traviata stared at the man who looked ready to kill her. Mere hours ago he'd scooped her up into his arms to make sure she had her injury looked at. Now he seemed ready to give her one himself.

"It was a filthy lie made to a scumbag, nothing more, Carth," she paused as his grip tightened even more.

"No further, okay. I would never betray the Republic. How can you be thinking that? You of all people; you've read my record, I'm sure. I've spent my life training for and serving the Republic, even when it meant taking a humiliating demotion; no, especially then! And I have no idea why it happened; I was told to report to Fleet and that I was going in as a Private. I was told that they needed me there. I followed my orders, I always follow my orders, but not just because I'm a soldier!" she explained, her voice thick with emotion. "But because I've devoted my life to the Republic. They were there for me when I needed them, and I have and will do the same," she paused again, swallowing hard. "I stayed to serve and protect the people who need us. The ones who can't protect themselves. I fight for them and the ideals that make the Republic great..." she trailed off.

His eyes softened and she saw sanity return to them. She let go a breath she didn't realize she was holding.

"Carth, what happened to make you act like that? I want to understand where all that intense anger and distrust came from," she said.

Carth ignored the question, as if not hearing it.

"That's happened to you before, hasn't it? You've been betrayed," she blurted out. "Revan and Malak, did you know them?" she wondered out loud.

His eyes darted to hers at that. "His name is Saul Karath, and he was my Captain; more than that actually. He had been my mentor and friend," he said, letting go of her arms.

"It was just after Revan came back as a dark Sith lord, attacking us with our own ships, own people, too. Saul came to me saying that maybe we were on the wrong side, that there was no way the Republic could stand against such powerful Sith who had an unending supply of ships and weapons," Carth sighed and walked to the entry of the room, leaning on one hand against the frame.

Traviata walked over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

The Commander glanced in her direction and then stared darkly off into the distance. "Saul disappeared with the Leviathan. I never saw him again after that. No one did until the day he showed up at my home world, Telos IV. Revan ordered him to destroy Telos, to prove his loyalty. Saul had the security codes, disabling the defenses - The entire planet was helpless before them. Saul destroyed everything I held dear," Carth trailed off, the last part barely audible.

"I'm sorry I didn't know. That's where all the anger comes from, the distrust," she said.

"The words you said to the bounty hunter, well that's what Saul did to me. He gave Telos IV to Revan as a gift to prove his sincerity and ability to fight for them. It just hit too close to what I've experienced," Carth explained.

"You could say the distrust is a result of conditioning I suppose. Whatever it is, it's part of who I am now," Carth said shrugging.

"You know not everyone's like Saul. Even since we've been here you've seen people surprise you with their help and goodness, take Forn for example," she started.

"Saul did plenty of good before he turned, so did Revan and Malak for that matter," he said shaking his head, his hard eyes meeting hers. "I don't trust people, that will never change, you never know who will turn on you or when,"Carth cut in.

"What kind of life is that? How can you go on living-" Traviata tried again.

"Some of us don't have a choice!" Carth interjected.

"But-"

"Enough," he said tersely then let go a long breath; he didn't want to lose his temper with her again.

"Enough, okay" he said softer this time. "Give it a rest, Traviata. We have a mission to get back to. We don't have time for this."

Carth slung the pack over one shoulder and walked out of the room heading for the lift that would take them to the sewers of Taris. Traviata stared after him for a moment. She hated that Carth was so full of pain, anger, and distrust. What a miserable way to live; he'd missed out on so much that way, she thought. She also decided, in that moment, that she was going to do everything in her power to show him that there were people left in the galaxy you could trust.


	5. Chapter 4 - Danger in the Depths

**A/N:** Many wonderful thanks to all who have read my story. Special thanks to those who have left reviews. I really appreciate all comments and criticisms and will answer any questions that I can. Also, my apologies for the delay in posting this chapter!

Chapter Four

Danger In The Depths

_Friendship, __of __itself __a __holy __tie, __is __made __more __sacred __by __adversity._

_**- **__**Charles **__**Caleb **__**Colton**_

The rusty pipes of the sewer complex were leaking, causing a crusty film to cover the walls after years of neglect. The steel grated floors were slippery in places where hydraulic fuel had leaked from the pumping stations throughout the vast maze of tubes. The air was heavy with the smell of decay.

They had combed miles of tunnels; so far they hadn't spotted anything that resembled life, much less their lost Jedi.

Carth's brows furrowed as they came to a nexus with three other tunnels branching from it. He moved forward a bit while his hand quickly found his blaster; it was an automatic response to the faint noise that drew his attention.

"What?" Traviata whispered with her blaster in hand as well.

"I thought I heard something," he said, continuing to stare off into the distance.

They stood like that for a moment and then Carth shrugged his pack off his shoulders, fishing a pair of comlinks out of it.

"Here. Special encrypts, military frequencies, a few state of the art add-ons," the Captain said, pinning one to the collar of her jacket for hands-free use. He'd kept the obviously military devices hidden away in case the pair was caught, but desperate times…

He was thankful once again he always kept a go bag ready. When he got back to civilization he was making sure he added a bioscanner to the bag too. It would have helped to diagnose her previous injuries and it could also identify life signs, which would have assisted them greatly in their current search.

"We're going to need to split up, we can cover twice the ground that way," Carth informed her, putting his comlink on his flight jacket collar.

"Good idea," she agreed. Traviata followed him toward one of the conduits, coming to a stop at the opening.

"I'll take the one to the east," he said gesturing in the direction he had heard the noise. "You give this one a look; just recon, that's all."

"Right," Traviata acknowledged, taking a step into the tunnel. She was stopped by a hand on her arm. The soldier turned, her eyes questioning.

"Stay in constant contact," he said, clearing his throat, his hand resting on her arm. "Traviata, don't try to be a hero, you see something, hold your position and report it, do not engage," his intent gaze held hers, his hand still on her arm.

The experienced Commander knew it was sound military strategy. He had ordered troops into much more dangerous situations before, it went with the uniform. The idea of sending Traviata off alone to face hidden danger though bothered him more than it should.

"Roger, that," she affirmed. Impulsively her hand found his, giving it a light squeeze, before treking into the large pipe.

The Captain watched her retreating form until it was out of sight. With effort he shook off the thought of following after her and made his way quickly down the opposite passageway.

Carth proceeded carefully into the labyrinth; the indistinct noise he'd heard earlier was getting louder. It was an ominous sound of growling and banging on metal. The spaceship Captain hesitated as he came to a "T"; the noise was coming from the west.

"Carth?" Traviata's voice came from his comlink.

"Affirmative," he said in a hushed voice.

"Bad time? You okay?" Traviata asked, her voice a whisper as well.

"I'm fine. Just going to check something out," he paused, the growling grew louder.

"Report," Carth ordered automatically.

"No contact. Nothing to report, except I'm going to check out something ahead. It seems to open into a larger area. May lead to something," she said quietly.

"Affirmative," Carth's voice sounding distracted. "You be careful, just take a quick look and report back to me."

"Roger that, and hey, you be careful too," she agreed soberly.

"Onasi out," Carth replied and muted the comlink.

He eased around the corner, toward the sound. At the end of the hall, maybe 10 meters, was what looked like a prison door. The Captain looked through a small barred window; he couldn't see anything in the pitch darkness. He tried pushing open the door, when it wouldn't budge, he took a chance and shot the door with his blaster. It fell back into the room with a loud thud, smoking and crackling.

They were running out of time, he could feel it. Their hunt for Bastilla was taking too long, there was no time now to play it safe.

He pulled out a glow rod from the side of his pack, using it to illuminate the room.

The Commander's eyes widened in shock as he took a sharp breath. It was a huge wookie, at least two meters tall the best Carth could tell; it was difficult to judge with the way he was chained to the wall.

The wookie let go a sorrowful wail. He may regret it, but Carth knew he couldn't leave the wookie like that. If the wookie was detained for any official reason, it certainly wouldn't be down here. Then he wondered if Bastilla was in the same type of cell in one of the many tunnels.

Carth tossed his bag on the ground and crept over closer to the wookie.

The wookie strained against his chains at Carth's approach letting go a ferocious anger filled growl. The Commander froze in his tracks, holding his hands up.

"Whoa, buddy. I'm not going to hurt you, calm down. I'm a Republic Officer, I don't know why you're chained up like this, but I can guess," Carth explained while holstering his weapon.

The wookie slave trade was a booming business, at least in the outter rim. This was the first sign that there really was a crime ring operating nearby. They were getting closer.

"All I want to do is free you. Okay? I'm not with the ones who did this to you. I'm looking for someone who's a prisoner down here, too," Carth went on.

"So let's make an arrangement, big guy. I'll unchain you, and you won't break me in half when I do? Deal?" Carth asked inching closer.

The wookie said something Carth couldn't understand, but he did seem to nod his head.

The Commander inspected the cuffs and chains, now standing beside him. "No problem, I've got just the thing," Carth said with a smile.

Carth darted over to his pack, retrieving a small laser cutter. He'd included it in his bag after needing one once off-ship and not having it.

With a click, the room was illuminated with a green light. He moved slowly to the wookie.

"It's the only way I know to free you. Okay?" Carth said.

The wookie seemed to hesitate a moment, and then growled what appeared to be an affirmative.

It took much longer than Carth had hoped; it was tedious work, taking care not to hurt the wookie any more than he already had been. Carth glanced at his chrono and noted the time with surprise; he'd been in there an hour.

He was almost through the last cuff when the wookie broke free, flinging his arms out wide. Carth stepped back while quickly dodging the hairy limbs, his body tense and battle ready, unsure of the wookie's intentions.

The wookie let go a fierce growl as he ran over to the other side of the room and began throwing huge steel lockers against the wall. The containers burst upon impact spilling the contents all over the floor.

"I get it, you're pissed, but not the best idea. You wanna' keep it down?" Carth warned him.

The wookie roared and the Commander briefly wondered if he was next. Then he realized there was more than rage behind his actions, noticing the items now strewn all over the floor. The wookie gathered a crossbow off the floor, slinging it onto his back, with a variety of ammo. Then he gestured to the floor at the remaining articles left. When Carth didn't move the wookie picked up a special ammo cartridge and handed it to him.

Carth let go a low whistle of appreciation and gave the wookie a broad smile. The wookie let go with a sort of chuckle. The Commander quickly picked up the assorted grenades, blaster mods, and several thermal detonators. Everything you need to ruin someone's day, Carth thought.

The wookie watched Carth and then, with an unmistakable growl of gratitude, he engulfed Carth in a big hug, picking him up off his feet briefly before letting him go.

"No problem, big guy, and thanks for this." Carth said in response, putting a hand on his pack, now stuffed to the point of bursting.

"You should probably get outta here before whoever did this to you comes back. Especially with all the noise you made," Carth advised. He swore under his breath, again noting the time on his chrono.

The wookie said something unintelligible to the Captain. "I can't understand you big guy, listen I have something I need to do."

"Traviata?" Carth said, activating his comlink.

No response. "Traviata, report," he tried again.

Carth tossed the cutter into the bag and onto his shoulder. "I've gotta go, Pal. Be careful out there."

The wookie didn't budge, Carth let go a long breath. He didn't know why he would want to stay, but he had larger concerns now.

The Commander rushed out of the room. "Suit yourself," he mumbled under his breath.

He went a few meters and noted the wookie was following him. "You don't want to follow me, big guy.

"Where I'm going will probably be crawling with the same people who took you prisoner. I've got to check on a friend who may be in trouble," Carth noted uneasily.

The wookie put a furry paw on Carth's arm, his big brown eyes, trying to communicate with him. The wookie went off on a long speech. Carth couldn't understand one word.

"Listen, buddy," Carth said glancing at his chrono. "If you want to follow me, I'm not going to try to stop you. I don't have time for this though," he said with strained patience, his thoughts on Traviata.

Carth tried reaching her; again nothing. His stomach tightened in knots. He began a full out run toward her last known location, the wookie on his heels.

They'd gone about 10 meters when he heard a garbled noise, he stopped and thumbed his comlink.

"Traviata?" Carth said.

"-finally-in some trouble-could – help," Traviata's garbled transmission said before ending.

"Your transmission was unclear. Repeat, last," Carth said.

No response. Well, the wookie said something.

"Traviata?" Carth tried again. The Commander took off in a sprint toward the nexus where he'd left her.

I never should have let her go alone. If something happens to her, I'll never forgive myself.

He pictured her in a cell like the one he'd just freed his new friend from, hurt and alone or worse. The thought made him want to throw up. The Republic Commander realized in that moment that at some point during their time together, Traviata had come to mean something more than a crewman to him. The idea took him by surprise and he quickly pushed the thoughts out of his mind. He'd think about it later, it wouldn't matter if he was too late to save her...Carth had to push that thought out of his mind, too.

"Damn it," he swore under his breath. Carth's speed quickened as he covered the last few meters to the connection to the tunnel Traviata went down.

It was enormous, it was terrifying, it was ravenous, and it was hunting Traviata.

Traviata tried to slow her breathing; she used the sleeve of her jacket to wipe the sweat from her brow. The soldier had been running around the cavernous room for almost an hour trying to evade the hideous mammoth creature. She'd been careful entering the area, hadn't seen anything, and without the help of a scanner, there was no way she could know the rancor was there crouched in a man made cave.

When the beast came rushing out of hiding on his short stubby legs, Traviata had been shocked. She'd tried to make it back to the way she came in, but he blocked the way. He had her scent that was for sure; every time she'd try to quietly edge around him behind his back, he'd seem to know. Each time she barely escaped his long arms.

What the blazes anyone would have a rancor down here, she couldn't fathom; well, there would be one use. Keep everyone away from the passageway she'd seen on the other side of the cave. It seemed to do that quite effectively, judging by the amount of skeletons she'd seen.

I'll be joining them soon too, she thought ruefully; the feral animal was winning their intense game of chess.

The room was brightly lit, which was the only thing working in her favor. Rancors couldn't see as well in the light, allowing her to hide if she could get enough distance between them. That was getting to be more and more of a challenge. Each time she tried to escape, she ended up injured, either by falling or lurching out of its grasp onto the rocky terrain. Someone had gone to a lot of trouble to make this creature a habitat.

Traviata leaned over around her cover chancing a look, and quickly darting back. It was just 20 meters in front of where she was. She felt her heart beat accelerate and let herself sink against the huge mound made of dirt, debris, and she didn't want to know what else. The soldier didn't know what to do; she'd overheated her blaster to the point where it was only good as a paperweight. At least she finally reached Carth, hopefully he understood her message. The comlink didn't work well in there; apparently there was some type of jamming device.

There was no doubt in her mind at all that somewhere on the other side of that passageway was their missing Jedi.

All she had to do was get past the extremely vigilant guard dog.

Yeah, when Hutts ride swoops, she thought.

It was impossible given her current state and with no working weapons; not that her blaster had been effective against it to begin with. Carth will come, she told herself, and she just had to hold out until then.

Traviata hoped Carth was okay and hadn't ended up in a similar situation. The idea made her heart race even faster. The enigmatic Captain was much less of a mystery to her now that she understood the source of his anger and trust issues. The idea of him thinking she could ever betray the Republic made her heart sink a little. His opinion of her mattered to her, and she was determined to prove she was worthy of his trust.

Carth was loyal, compassionate, honorable; a real patriot. All were some of the reasons she respected and cared for him. Traviata took a long breath trying to calm her thoughts and her breathing. She'd have to get past it; he was her superior, it was impossible for there to ever be anything between them. Traviata rolled her eyes, like he'd ever see her that way. He was ready to kill her hours earlier when he'd thought her words traitorous.

"You're losin' it, Vee. Going frakin space happy," she muttered to herself.

The rancor let out a thunderous roar moving closer, causing Traviata to crouch down further, wrapping her arms around her head. The creature's sense of hearing must be phenomenal, she thought, silently cursing as it thudded around the pile of muck, searching for his prey.

Traviata jumped up, scrambling over the mound, evading the creature. She'd have to make a run for it; maybe the passageway, she thought. She bolted that direction, the best she could, her leg aching from twisting it earlier. The creature quickly over took her, coming to a stop in her path, causing her to trip and fall. He bent down baring his razor sharp teeth in another ear splintering roar.

"How the hell do you run so fast with those frakin little legs?" she screamed up at the monster.

Traviata did her best to scramble back, using her arms to propel herself. The creature's revolting breath hot on her moist skin, he claimed his victim in one quick movement of his arm.

Carth's heart stopped when he ran into the large chamber and saw that the rancor had Traviata in his grasp. In an instant he had a thermal detonator in his hand, throwing it close enough to get the creature's attention without hurting Traviata. The explosion rocked the monster, causing him to fall to his knees, dropping Traviata to the ground.

The rancor was up in a flash and running at Carth with a murderous roar, his heavy foot steps making the ground shake. The Commander threw a couple of frag grenades at it, causing it to fall to its knees again. The wookie fired exploding arrows at its face with his crossbow. The soldier wasted no time and ran up to the creature, throwing a thermal detonator into its mouth.

"Sweet dreams," Carth spat, then turned, running towards Traviata. The resulting explosion sent him flying, landing beside her, amidst a shower of rancor and dirt.

The Commander rolled over and got to his knees, his elbows leaning on either side of Traviata. His hands brushing her hair away from her face, his eyes intently searched hers. "Are you okay?"

"I'm- fine, I - think" she said, still stunned by all that happened.

Carth gathered her to his chest in a tight embrace, thankful she was alright. He'd never forget the sight of her in that monster's hand, so helpless, like a rag doll.

He held her away from him, to inspect her further, his eyes scanning her.

"Are you sure?" he asked with apparent disbelief.

"Yeah, nothing major," she nodded slightly, her shock beginning to wear off. Traviata's and Carth's emotion filled eyes locked.

"I -" Traviata started, her words cut off. Carth's arm's engulfed her, pulling her to him, her face buried in his shoulder. She felt him kiss the top of her head several times, his hand cradling her head to him and she wondered if she was dreaming.

After a few moments his embrace loosened, she turned her head, and tentatively traced his strong jaw line.

"I knew you'd come. Thank you," Traviata said. Her mouth dry, feeling like her heart was in her throat.

Carth drew her tighter to him again in response, resting his head on the top of hers. The Commander didn't know what had come over him; he was flooded with relief and emotion. "You don't have to thank me. Don't you know that, Viata?" Carth said barely audible.

The sound of a roaring wookie walking up behind them brought Carth's thoughts back to the mission.

He stood, helping ease Traviata to her feet, the pair held each other's eyes for a moment, silently communicating, acknowledging their affection for each other. There was now an unseen tether tying the two together and they both realized it. Their relationship had just completely changed, to something very much beyond Commander and crewman. Which meant things just got even more complicated than they already were.

"Big Guy, meet Traviata," Carth said with a nod to Traviata.

The wookie growled what was perhaps a greeting.

"Hi, Zalbaar. Thanks for helping to save my ass," Traviata said with a smile.

Zalbaar then went on a diatribe, taking several minutes for him to finish. Traviata nodded as he spoke, smiling softly at one point looking to Carth with affection. When he finished Traviata said, "So you were busy, Commander. You've made a very large new friend."

Carth looked to Zalbaar and then Traviata, "You understand shyriiwook?"

"It's not that good, but enough to understand the basics. Like you freeing him. He said to tell you that you were right, they were selling him into slavery," she paused. "He also says he owes you a life debt, which he will happily honor."

Carth's fingers massaged his jaw as he considered that. Then with a nod to the wookie, "I'm honored Zaalbar." He wasn't going to insult the wookie by refusing the pledge, he could handle making sure the wookie understood he was free after getting them all safely off Taris.

There was of course a reason for the rancor being in that location; it was protecting the entrance to a massive underground compound of the crime gang. The modern facility was also very well protected from within.

"Clear. That's the last one, at least in this hallway," Traviata's voice coming over Carth's comlink, as the thug fell to the floor.

"What part of we'll make a sweep of the area together, did you not understand? You were just supposed to watch the door. Never mind. Wait," Carth told her sourly, his jaw tightening, turning a corner seeing the Private, surrounded by several dead bodies.

"What? You were tied up with downloading the information you wanted. I heard these clowns coming down the hall, and so I took care of them," she paused eyeing her weapon with appreciation.

"My blaster has twice the power it did since you fixed it, by the way," Traviata said to Carth as he treaded up to her.

He rolled his eyes; stubborn woman. She just didn't get it, or didn't want to, more likely the second. "You know one of us could have broken away and helped you. You take too many risks. You do remember what orders are and how to follow them, right?" Carth persisted.

Zalbaar chimed in his agreement with Carth. Traviata chose not to offer that interpretation unless it was asked for.

"I was following _your_ orders and engaging the enemy if they posed a threat to our mission objective or to our team, and you-" Traviata countered defiantly, pausing as she thought about his previous instructions. Okay, so maybe she didn't follow all the orders, they were also trying to keep a low profile. They were only supposed to engage the enemy if evasion wasn't possible.

"I'd be careful with your words," Carth interrupted, ice in his voice.

He knew damn well she heard something and without a thought of taking back up, or waiting to see if they'd just walk by not noticing their presence, she decided to just run in and attack. Traviata was lucky that time, but he'd seen too many soldiers become dead heroes that same way. He also was hoping to keep their presence unknown for as long as possible. That was unlikely if they engaged everyone they encountered.

Her eyes faltered under his steady glare for a moment, before meeting them again.

"They could have become a threat, I felt that they would anyway," Traviata defended.

"We'll continue this discussion later," he added decisively, his eyes telegraphing his anger.

Traviata felt a shiver of dread run through her at his words; he was furious. She knew him well enough by now to know that tone and look. It meant there was a storm coming later.

She grimaced slightly. It had just felt like the right thing to do at the time, though she couldn't deny she didn't really followthe intent of his orders.

The soldier was discovering she had instincts, something inside her warned that they were dangerous to them. It was strange; she felt she had to follow the feeling. It was almost a compulsion. Traviata pictured explaining that to Carth. She sighed inwardly; that would be an interesting conversation. He was right; they should talk about it later.

Traviata nodded her agreement, her gaze shifting to the map pulled up on his datapad, uneasy with his intense scrutiny. His eyes looked into hers as if he could see clear into her soul.

"Looks like you hit solid ore," Traviata offered, gesturing to the device. There was an uneasy silence for a moment; she could feel Carth's eyes still on her.

"I think they may be holding Bastilla here. This looks like a prison cell with a force field, it shouldn't be able to contain a Jedi with her abilities, but she may be injured," Carth explained, running his finger over the datapad; there was no trace of his former anger. He was clearly in control of his emotions and focused on their mission.

"Here, here, and here, those could be anything. They flank and cross the cell. They're designated as storage, but," he paused thoughtfully. "You can never fully trust these maps," Carth explained.

"There's a control center here," Carth continued, his voice distracted, tapping the datapad. "It appears to be the hub for communications, security, hell all their systems. It's an extremely sophisticated facility for a bunch of criminals, very similar to a military base, though a bit dated."

"What are you thinking?" Traviata wondered, leaning in closer, peering at the screen.

"Carth?" she repeated when he didn't respond. He was starring at the display, not seeing it; you could almost see him working things out in his head.

Zalbaar hovering close by was within earshot, but carefully watching the adjacent corridor. Traviata eyed the wookie before giving a slight shrug. The eerie quiet of the corridor was interrupted by the loud hiss of the ventilator coming on, followed by the tangy lemon smell of over scrubbed oxygen.

Carth nodded once, seemingly making up his mind, before looking up from the datapad.

"Here's what we're going to do. We go to the control room first. Try to access as many systems as we're able to, give ourselves every advantage we can. Then we hit the cell, two on defense, and one on retrieval, depending on how much resistance we encounter. A lot will depend on how successful we are with breaching their system controls," he paused, scratching his chin. "I'd like to be able to knock out their communications and security systems if possible."

Traviata watched Carth closely. "I have some experience with hacking, they will probably be heavily encrypted, and that could take some time."

"Time is a luxury we don't have, we've been here over a week," he looked meaningfully at her. "The Sith will make an aggressive move soon and by now even these idiots have figured out that the Jedi they're holding is more valuable to them than they realized."

"Right, so what are you saying?" Traviata asked.

"Smash and grab, we move silently and quickly and attack with force. Having said that, I still want to make a quick stop at the control room and see what we can accomplish within a few minutes," Carth explained.

"Sounds impossible. I like a challenge," Traviata enthused, hoping her skills were up to it.

Zalbaar rumbled his agreement.

"We stay together," Carth said over his shoulder to Zalbaar, his eyes on Traviata.

Then, leaning in so close that they were almost touching, "That means you stay in our line of sight, no exceptions, no excuses. No heroics, no solo incursions. This is an order from your CO, are we clear on this point?" Carth demanded quietly.

It took Traviata a moment to respond, her head made fuzzy by his proximity, but she finally nodded her response.

"Yes," she whispered, finding her voice.

Carth's eyes studied her face; he hesitated as if going to say something, but changed his mind, straightening abruptly.

"Zalbaar, you have our six, I'll take point," Carth said, charging his blaster.

The trio made their way quietly to the control room, only meeting one security patrol along the way.

Inside the room there was only one person, and he was asleep in his chair when they entered. Zalbaar shot an arrow, rendering him unconscious instantly. Traviata sped to the control panel, keying madly. Carth hovered behind her, while Zalbaar covered the door.

"Why didn't we see more minions on our way, do you think?" she quizzed, her fingers flying.

"I'm guessing they've figured out who their Jedi is and have her heavily guarded," he noted uneasily. He watched her progress with interest; he'd never seen a human key so fast.

"Access denied," the computer beeped.

"Forget security, try communications," Carth offered, glancing at his chrono.

"Access denied," the computer voice echoed.

Traviata tried again, same response. Her fingers moved faster, trying a different system, looking for a back door.

"Good try, you did your best-" Carth started when a myriad of camera views popped onto the large screen they were standing in front of.

"Can you pull up the cell?" Carth inquired.

The Jedi came into view, startling Traviata, causing her to gasp out loud. She looked familiar, but she knew she'd never met her, still there was something about her.

"What? They have her in a force cage in her cell," Carth pointed out.

"That explains why they've been able to hold her. She looks fine though, in fact she looks like she knows we're watching," Carth observed.

More Jedi hocus pocus; it gave him the creeps, and must have shaken Traviata too by the looks of it. "Now show me the storage rooms and the corridor leading there."

The three of them stared at the screen in disbelief, there must have been twenty-five thugs making their way down the hallway. Traviata shifted the view to the storage rooms.

Carth's jaw tightened at the sight. "Like I said, you can't trust the maps."

"That's no storage room, well maybe for people," she paused. "There must be fifteen guys in each of those _barracks_," Traviata said her eyes widening.

"Well armed guys," Carth noted pointing to the weapons. "Let's move out," he added, fishing grenades out of his bag.

"Just a sec," Traviata's was busily tapping at the keypad.

"No time, forget it," Carth shot back.

"Wait, I've almost got it, Carth" Traviata rebutted, with a hard shake of her head.

"Mi'kael, pull up the cameras and check for activity in the area," a voice said coming from the control panel.

Carth rolled his eyes, grabbed her by the arm, pulling her. "Would you stop? Time to go," Traviata resisted, keying in the final lines of code.

The frustrated Captain picked her up by both arms, removing her from the panel, standing her in front of him. "Damn it, Viata. You and I are going to have a serious talk when this is over," he said through clenched teeth.

Just then sprinklers dropped down and drenched the room, followed by booming alarms, dimmed lighting, and fire retardant spraying from nozzles in the wall. Zalbaar roared loudly, grabbing his ears.

Traviata's smile spread across her entire face. "A distraction," she said, obviously pleased with herself.

Carth ran a hand through his soaked hair, straining to see her through the cloud of chemicals now filling the room. "That you are," he said so quietly she wasn't sure she heard him correctly.

"Come on," he said walking briskly to the door.

"Same as before, Zalbaar," Carth paused noting the wookie's discomfort. "Hey, pal, you okay?"

"He says he'll survive, he's anxious to go though," Traviata said with a cough; the room was getting toxic.

"Okay, same formation as before, shoot anything that gets in our way, they know we're here. Go straight for Bastilla," Carth said choking back a cough while opening the door.

The trio sped down the hall; their blasters cut a path through the musclemen, Zalbaar slammed down any goon who got anywhere close. At least half of them ignored them, running for an exit apparently. Visibility was difficult in the narrow passageway; breathing was becoming harder, too. The Captain had to admit that the payoff was big on the time spent in the control room. It gave them the advantage they needed.

In just a few short minutes they'd made it to the corridor. Carth ran up to Bastilla's cell. The Jedi was immobilized by the cage.

"We'll get you out of there, just…" Carth assured her. "Try to relax," he finished as Zalbaar slowly approached. "We have to get this shield down," his face fell; his eyes surveyed the area and then Zalbaar's face.

"Where's Traviata?" he demanded, his brow furrowing.

The wookie roared something and then shrugged his shoulders, placing his hands on his ears once again. The Captain tried comming Traviata and then remembered their devices didn't work in the area. "Frak, I Frakin knew she'd pull a stunt like this," he yelled, pounding the wall, continuing to swear under his breath.

He couldn't very well leave the Jedi, though he did briefly consider it. He'd have to free her and then look for Traviata. The Commander began the time consuming task of recoding the force field security with a scowl on his face.

Traviata wondered why she was doing this, following some instinct she never realized she had before. It was that feeling again, this time stronger, urging her down an opposite hallway from their objective. It was easy enough to lose Zalbaar in the fog of chemicals; he was distracted by the alarm painfully blaring away. Carth had been focused on clearing the way of enemy combatants, making it easy to slip away from the pair.

Traviata entered the dark room at the end of the hallway unsure what she hoped to find. It had better be something remarkable to be worth the epic ass chewing she knew was heading her way when she returned.

Movement drew her eye to the corner; she eased her way along the outer edges of the makeshift living quarters, picking her way through debris, all slick, covered with fire retardant. She squinted through the fog raising her pistol, hearing heavy breathing. She inched closer; the sight of a young blue-skinned twi'lek aiming a blaster at her caused her to lose her footing. Traviata slid, and went crashing to the floor, dropping her blaster and bringing a nearby work table crashing on top of her as she scrambled to keep her balance.

"You're not a very good gangster," the blue-skinned female came closer to the soldier. "Maybe you'll make a better a prisoner."

Traviata cocked her head slightly. "I'm not with these thugs, I'm a Republic soldier. My name is Traviata Kerkes," she informed her, shifting under the weight of the work table.

Her leg still sore from her run in with the rancor was aching pinned beneath the table. She may have actually broken it this time; great news. Following her feelings had gotten her into one hell of mess, she thought staring at the blaster pointed at her by the little twi'lek.

"They were holding you prisoner?" Traviata quizzed. The girl looked like she was barely matured, though judging by her tattooed eyebrows and attire, she looked like she'd learned how to use her assets. Female twi'leks were highly sought after as dancers and often sold into slavery due to their beauty.

"A Republic soldier?" the twi'lek asked squatting down beside her. "No wonder we're losing to the Sith, I mean if you're telling the truth. Look at you there, all covered with slimy goo, lost your weapon and trapped. I didn't even have to do a thing, you did it to yourself," the girl noted as her head tails twitched.

Traviata's eyes met hers. "I'm telling you the truth. You're not exactly catching me at my best, okay? I'm having a really bad day," she declared, blowing out a breath. "I don't even know why I came in here. I'm supposed to be helping to mount a rescue. On top of this, my day is going to get a lot worse when my Captain finds out I've disregarded his orders, _again_. Gotten myself into a mess, again. Though the rancor thing was clearly not my fault."

The twi'lek seemed to consider her words. "If you're with the Republic, what are you doing on Taris?" the pale blue-skinned girl quizzed.

"Our ship was attacked and we escaped here. We're trying to find someone very important to the Republic right now who ended up in the hands of these Sith spawn," Traviata explained, trying to shift her weight to give some relief to her leg.

"You came down in the pods that fell all over the place?" the girl asked.

"Yes," Traviata said struggling to free herself but unable to get a grip with everything covered in slick film; she groaned when she ended up with more weight on her throbbing limb . "Do you think you could help me with this? I'm in some pain here. What's your name anyway?"

"Yeah yeah, I'll help you. Mission's my name," she seemed to consider her options. Then got busy lifting up the table high enough for Traviata to scoot out from.

"Thanks, Mission," Traviata expressed, rubbing her leg. "What made you decide to believe me?"

"If you were one of them, you wouldn't have asked, you'd have threatened," Mission stated, her big eyes watching Traviata. "Plus, you look pretty pathetic covered in all that slimy ooze."

Traviata nodded once, "Right. Mission, I've got to get out of here and get to the rest of my party. They're rescuing a Jedi right now,"

"Aren't Jedi the ones who are supposed to do the rescuing?" she quipped, arching one of her dark eyebrows. "Like I said before, no wonder we're losing."

"It's a long story, Mission. She has some very powerful enemies, who want to capture her. So you side with the Republic I take it?" Traviata inquired. That was twice now the girl identified herself with the Republic.

"Of course, my story is long too. Let's just say that it wasn't my choice to be left in this hell hole," Mission's tentacles shuddered at her words, while she handed Traviata her blaster.

"Thanks. Listen, I need to get moving," Traviata explained, grimacing as she stood.

"Me too. Oh that Jedi? The force field where they're holding her has Sith encrypts on it, by the way. All of the force fields down here do," Mission offered.

Great another complication. "This day just gets better and better," Traviata replied. How in the world did this obvious cantina dancer know about the shields, she wondered.

"Thanks for the heads up. Why did they capture you anyway?" Traviata queried.

"I broke in looking for my friend, they caught me over riding their force field at the entrance near your Jedi," Mission related.

"Wait, you overrode the security codes, with Sith encrypts?" Traviata's eyes widened as the girl nodded her head. "You say there's an entrance close to the cell? Where does that lead?"

"There's a turbolift just outside the passageway there that leads to the corridor where they have your friend. I can help you, if you want. Sith encrypts aren't easy, but I've been breaking their codes for years," Mission offered.

"Damn, we could have avoided the rancor if there's a turbolift near her," Traviata said to herself out loud.

"You went through the rancor entrance?" Mission's shocked voice asked.

Traviata nodded. "It's not a rancor entrance any more," she clarified limping to the door.

"Wow, you have had a bad day," Mission followed the soldier. "I can spare a few minutes to help you with the shields. We need to go to the control room, you'll never hack it at the jail cell."

This must be why she felt she was to come here. Maybe she was going space crazy, but if this young twi'lek could do what she said, then it was the miracle they needed.

"Mission if you could help us that would be great, and we'll get you out of here," Traviata offered.

"No, not without my friend. They've taken him, and I'm all he has. He's protected me since I was a kid, and I can't desert him," her voice rose as she spoke, tears streaming down her face.

"Okay, it's okay, Mission," Traviata instinctively wrapped an arm around her.

"Let's get that force field down and then we'll go see my Captain and maybe he'll agree to us helping you with your search for your friend," Traviata didn't think she could walk away and leave this young girl down here alone, and she believed that Carth wouldn't either.

"Yeah, sure," Mission said obviously not putting much hope in that working out. "This the same guy you're in trouble with when you get back?"

Traviata gave a quick nod, not wanting to think of that.

Mission's wide eyes took in the appearance of the soldier standing before her. Traviata's hair was matted to her head with a myriad of substances, her clothes were tattered and ripped and blood covered in places, covered in a film of what looked like glowing mud. Cuts, bruises, abrasions were apparent on any skin that was showing. The beautiful showgirl wondered how the woman got in such a state.

"No offense, but one look at you and I'm pretty sure you'll be busted to Private. I don't think he'll be in a mood to be doing you any favors," Mission said bluntly.

Traviata grimaced, giving herself a quick once over. The greasy skim she'd gotten all over, mucking about on the floor, combined with the mess she already was, made her look like a new born goblin. Her appearance wasn't what worried her though, it was her deviation from the mission protocol. More than that, there was something very personal in his order to stay with the team. He was going to be mad on a professional and personal level. The soldier pushed the thought aside, time to get that Jedi and get the deuce off this rock.

"I've already been busted to Private. What else can they do to me?" Traviata replied.

"Yikes. Sounds like you have a knack at finding trouble," Mission retorted.

"I found you, didn't I?" Traviata shot back. The twi'lek broke out in a smile which Traviata returned.

"Come on, Mission," Traviata instructed moving into the fastest hobble she could manage.

Carth swore vehemently; nothing he tried would get him past the security codes. He was going to have to try to re-wire it. Bastilla hadn't said one word, she would open her eyes periodically, but apart from that it seemed like she was in some sort of Jedi trance. He'd long since stopped trying to engage the arrogant Jedi in conversation. She seemed fine, just unwilling to talk.

Carth ripped off the cover to the control panel, exposing the innards and walked over to his bag and grabbed a pair of cutters, splicer, and a miniscule welder made for delicate work.

Zalbaar rumbled something that sounded like approval.

The Commander shrugged. "I've just learned over the years to be prepared. Definitely going to add security spikes to my bag when I can. Beats trying to bypass the security system manually."

He fished the wires out lifting the circuit board up so he could look at it closer.

The force field disappeared. The alarms stopped, along with the other fire containment measures.

Zalbaar roared his approval.

"I didn't do that, big guy," Carth's gaze narrowed, looking at the security camera.

Zalbaar quickly ambled up to the cell, and would have walked in if not for Carth's hand on his arm.

"Wait, it could be a trap," Carth warned. He stood there going over his options, it was a set up or it was Traviata.

The sound of footsteps on the metal floor echoed in the now quiet passageway. Carth discarded the tools, opting for his blaster. He only had to wait a moment, when two figures emerged into the sparsely lit area.

Carth felt several intense emotions at once: relief, anger, frustration and shock. His eyes surveyed Traviata's condition; she was obviously limping and covered in a lubricious coating. She also had a companion, a twi'lek.

Zalbaar roared running at the young twi'lek.

"Wait," Traviata yelled thrusting herself between the wookie and Mission.

"Stop," Carth hollered running for Zalbaar.

"Zalbaar?" Mission screamed with delight, pushing Traviata out of her way.

Zalbaar rumbled his joy, embracing the young twi'lek gently in his large fury arms.

Carth smiled, watching the pair who apparently knew each other, relieved he hadn't actually had to try to restrain the wookie. His eyes found Traviata, who was now leaning against a wall, completely absorbed in the reunion unfolding in front of her.

He walked over to Traviata, torn between rage and happiness that she was at least in one piece.

"Are you okay? What the hell happened to you?" Carth demanded.

"I'm fine," her eyes met his hesitantly. "I know you're mad," she paused. "Okay, beyond mad, but I can explain. That girl there, Mission; we couldn't have lowered the force field without her help. She was being held prisoner here when they caught her breaking in trying to save Zalbaar. I only found her because I had this… this feeling guiding me to her and I followed it…" she trailed off at the look on his face.

A muscle twitched in Carth's jaw, his features tight as granite.

"I'm not doing this with you right now. We have a mission to complete," Carth said darkly, trying desperately to control his anger at the woman.

Traviata nodded. "Fine, but you should talk to her," she suggested, tilting her head in the direction of Mission. "She knows a faster way out of here." The less contact Traviata had with him in his current mood, the better.

"Zalbaar, you watch our backs. Traviata and I are going in the cell to free Bastilla," Carth related, holstering his weapon. "After you," he directed, gesturing with his hand to the cell.

Carth swiftly released Bastilla from her bonds, the angry buzzing of the device going dead. The Jedi just stood there for a moment staring in Traviata's direction. The Commander's gaze shifted to Traviata, finding her holding a hand to her head, blinking.

"Commander, if you would be so kind?" Bastilla requested, holding out her hand for him to help down from the machine.

"Of course. Are you hurt Bastilla?" Carth asked, his attention now on the Jedi, assisting her off the contrivance.

"I'm quite well, thank you, Commander. Just staying out of sight, as you put it, before you sent me spiraling into space," Bastilla quipped.

"Ah yes," Carth said rocking back on his heels. "Sorry about that, but it was necessary for your protection, and that of the Republic," he said checking his chrono. "We can discuss all of this later, right now we need to get you out of here and someplace safe," he grimaced inwardly. Not a conversation he was looking forward to.

Carth's eyes went to where Traviata had last been standing; she wasn't there. He turned looking behind him; he saw Zalbaar and Mission, but no Traviata. He ran a hand through his hair, his agitation rising.

"If you'll follow me," Carth directed, walking to where the two friends were standing.

"Traviata?" Carth asked approaching.

Mission pointed to the entry about thirty meters away. "She asked which way we'd be going, and when I told her, she said that she was going to guard our exit while you spoke to the Jedi. She said to let you know if you didn't see her," Mission explained, giving Bastilla a critical once over.

Carth's eyes speedily found Traviata, leaning against the door frame, her back to them, with her pistol in hand.

"Thanks, kid," Carth said, his brows drawing together.

"You should cut her some slack; she's had a really bad day. She's all worried about you being mad at her," Mission advised Carth.

Carth's gaze tightened further at her words. "With good reason, kid."

"Well Captain, I look forward to hearing about all that's transpired while I was keeping out of sight," Bastilla said with an arched eyebrow, her gaze lighting on Traviata before focusing on Carth.

"I'll fully debrief you, but later," Carth's tone was clipped, still watching Traviata. Something wasn't right, and it always came back to the Jedi.

"I also expect a full debriefing, just so you know. You are going to tell me just what mission was worth my ship and the lives of my crew, and, since I'm old fashioned, ladies go first. That will all have to keep for now though," he informed her, his gaze drifting to hers.


	6. Chapter 5 - Q & A Time

**A/N: **Many glorious thanks to you who have read my story. This is an extremely short chapter, but I wanted to post it due to my previous lengthy delay.

**Chapter Five**

**Q & A Time**

"_Your mind will answer most questions if you learn to relax and wait for the answer."_

_- _**William S. Burroughs**

Carth stood staring out the window of the luxurious five bedroom apartment, sipping on a stimcaf. It was a far cry from the hovel they had been staying in. When the Commander stopped by Forn's, the entire group en tow after safely escaping the sewers, the doctor had insisted on them using his place. Forn said he hardly ever stayed there anyway, preferring to sleep in rooms he kept in the back of his clinic. He said he only kept the place for appearances. By the looks of the pristine unit, he was telling the truth. The carpets were plush, the beds soft, and it was well appointed with extremely tasteful decor. The place was a showplace and looked like it had never been stayed in.

The doctor had checked them all over, when he saw them, and healed whatever injuries they had; rest had been prescribed for all. Carth had protested, saying it would take hours, maybe even a day or so, to set up a meeting with the bounty hunter who could supposedly get them off of Taris. That was going to be a trick with the planet under quarantine.

The Commander turned at the sound of quiet footsteps; it was Traviata. She had apparently not seen him at the window in the large living area, or was ignoring him. It was hard telling which, given her recent behavior. He watched her as she made herself a stimcaf. He couldn't help but notice how beautiful she looked. Dressed in a light tunic and slacks, her hair bounced as she went about making something to eat. Traviata looked better, but still fatigued; her manner had been very quiet and elusive since rescuing Bastilla.

"Come join me," Traviata said, sitting at the dining table, jolting Carth from his thoughts.

Traviata watched him walk over, noting how tired his eyes looked. She knew he'd showered and changed, but doubted he'd eaten anything and probably just dozed lightly on the couch.

She pushed a plate of food in front of him when he sat down. "Apparently Forn sent over quite a lot of food. I don't remember the last time I cooked, but I think I make an edible sandwich," she admitted, handing him a napkin.

"Yeah, they were delivered a few hours ago," he informed her. "Thanks, looks great," Carth continued, realizing he was starving. He lifted up a piece of the bread, investigating it's contents. "Is this Nerf Steak?"

"I believe so," Traviata answered.

"It seems like forever since I had a Nerf Steak Sandwich," he commented appreciatively.

"Me too. Did you get any rest?" Traviata asked taking a bite of her food.

"Enough. You?" Carth asked, eating his sandwich.

"Same. Have you heard anything?" Traviata quizzed taking a sip of her drink, enjoying the taste and texture of real food and especially the stimcaf.

"Zilch. I'll give him a few more hours, and then I'm paying Forn a visit," Carth said in between bites.

Traviata, having finished half her sandwich and feeling full, pushed her plate to Carth, who had devoured his meal.

"I'm not as hungry as I thought," she explained.

He took the sandwich, his eyes searching hers for a moment, before looking away. "Thanks. It's really good."

"I'm glad," was all she said.

Carth ate the rest of his food in silence, wiping his mouth with his napkin when he'd finished, and tossed it onto the plate. He watched her from across the table for a moment, her gaze far off. Then she stood up, gathering their dishes distractedly sitting them on the kitchen counter. She headed for the direction of the bedrooms when Carth spoke.

"A word with you, Traviata," Carth said standing.

The private stopped, turning on her heel with dread. She doubted it would be just _a_ word, more likely many angry words strung together. Steeling herself for what she knew was coming, she hiked back over to him. Taking a military at ease stance, her hands clasped behind her back, she was ready. This was no doubt the ass chewing she knew was heading her way.

She waited as the silence stretched on, Carth watching her.

"I'm curious about something," Carth started, his words calm.

He was determined to have a discussion not an argument, commander to crewman, leaving anything personal out of it altogether. He wasn't positively sure what the emotions really were she seemed to stir in him. Could just be a reaction to the extreme condition they found themselves in, but he had to take control of himself and keep it strictly professional.

"All the years you served in military intelligence, I didn't see any mention of discipline problems, unless it was left out of your record for some reason. Why now? I mean in this situation especially, you must understand the importance of the chain of command."

Traviata searched her memory; she couldn't recall disobeying orders ever. Of course she never remembered having these intense feelings leading her before either. She had to get this figured out, especially since having that weird experience when she'd first come face to face with the Jedi. The strange images of the woman fighting some caped, masked foe haunted her. Not to mention the constant nightmares of Jedi fighting the same mysterious villain that she had.

Carth cleared his throat, obviously waiting for her response. He'd think she'd gone completely space happy if she told him all that. Traviata met his expectant gaze; she was tired of letting him down, both as her Captain and on a personal level, if there was anything personal left on his part. Didn't matter if he hated her though, she still wanted him to be able to trust her and count on her to do her duty.

"Yes, sir, I do. I've never disobeyed orders before. It won't happen again," she promised, meaning it.

"You didn't answer my question. Why now?" Carth reminded her, watching her intently.

Why now, that was a good question. She wondered that herself. "I don't know, but it-" she started.

"You can't declare you won't do something again if you don't even understand why you're doing it. I don't buy it anyway. You gave the reason of following your instincts before…" Carth reminded her.

Blaster bolts, Traviata said inwardly. He _would_ remember that. "Yes, you're right I did."

"Republic soldiers follow orders, not feelings," Carth said soberly. "Feelings will get you and others killed. Keeping a clear head, following your orders, relying on your training; this is how you successfully complete an objective."

"Oh, I don't know Commander. I think following one's feelings is just the Force urging us in the direction it wants us to take," Bastilla remarked, standing just out of their line of vision. She drew closer, silently; her movements poised. "Providing of course it isn't emotion driving you, but more of an awareness of your surroundings. It could have been the Force directing your course, Traviata."

The flashes again, at her appearance; Traviata blinked trying to clear her head. It had to be the Jedi causing it. Was the Jedi aware of what she made happened, Traviata wondered, her eyes scanning the extremely petite woman. The disturbing pictures, so like her nightmares, ended. Traviata turned her attention back to the Captain, her eyes finding him watching her closely. Traviata shifted her gaze, unable to hold his, the room spinning.

"I understand. I promise you, it won't happen again, sir. Are we done?" she asked, her pleading eyes darted to his momentarily, desperately wanting to escape.

His brow furrowed, giving a quick nod to her. "For now."

Carth's face became a cloud of anger, but this time she knew it was not directed at her. His attention was now on the mysterious Jedi. "Will you excuse us, Traviata? I need to speak privately to Bastilla."

Gladly, she thought. "I'm going out for some fresh air, if that's okay. I'll grab a comlink," Traviata threw over her shoulder, already making her exit from the room.

When the Commander didn't answer she turned and he seemed to be considering it. He should say no, but she really seemed to need to put some distance between her and the Jedi. Making up his mind, "Okay, and remember what we talked about. Stay close, don't be long and check in," Carth said, his attention still on Bastilla who had made her way to the kitchen, seemingly unaffected by Carth's ire.

"I will," she promised. The private was out of the door in less than thirty seconds.

"First, if you ever undermine my authority like that again, mission or not, you're on your own," Carth's voice like ice, his hands on his hips. "I mean it, I'll leave you here."

"Yes, yes, you do, Commander," Bastilla said with a sigh.

Carth's eyes narrowed; frakin Jedi reading his feelings. It just pissed him off more.

"Second, keep your opinions about the Force to yourself. You and your kind have caused enough trouble already-"

"Me and my kind, Commander? I never took you as a bigot. Please, you and I both know you only hate the Jedi because of Revan's betrayal," Bastilla interrupted.

"What if I do? I have every right to, everyone does. Jedi mess with power that should be left alone; it's too dangerous when the likes of Revan acquire it. Look what that maniacal homicidal Jedi did-" Carth fumed.

"Everything Revan touched turned evil; Malak, Saul, Republic troops- everything!" he ground out.

"Need I remind you that you weren't always so opposed to the Jedi and our special skills? You once proudly served under Revan and Malak, if I recall your record correctly, Commander." Bastilla countered, one eyebrow arched.

"Referring to the Mandalorian Wars? I'd rather be fighting _them_ than these Sith animals that first Revan, and now Malak, have unleashed. Not only that, but I didn't know then what I know now. Jedi, especially powerful Jedi, are dangerous, a menace," Carth said, not caring that she'd realize he was including her in that category.

"Sure, Revan and Malak did some good during the Mandalorian wars, but the power they had corrupted them. Turning them to fight and kill the very people they had once saved from slaughter at the hands of the Mandalorians," Carth persisted. "They took the mindless violence to a whole new level, destroying entire planets, corrupting or destroying everything they touched," he finished.

Bastilla put a hand on Carth's arm, surprising him. "Hate is a very strong emotion, as is love. Both are just as destructive when we let them rule us. If you do not get a hold of the hate that is consuming you, then you will end up destroyed by your emotions, just like Revan was," Bastilla warned.

"_You_ destroyed Revan, not emotion. Immense power unleashed the murderous lunatic that you put an end to," Carth rebutted, taking a step back, Bastilla's hand falling to her side.

"You are wrong, Commander. It may interest you to know that it was love that caused Revan's demise," the Jedi said flatly.

Carth shook off the idea, "All I care about is that Revan's dead, next comes Saul, and then Malak.

"What exactly is going on, Bastilla? What is this mission about and why do you need Traviata for it?" Carth demanded. Enough talk about the Jedi and the past. He wanted answers.

"I also need you for it, if you recall," Bastilla reminded him.

"I do. Why? I need to know, before we go any further," Carth said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I know you want answers, Commander. Answers I'm not authorized to give. Given Malak's aggressive course of action, I suggest we get off Taris and go to Dantooine. We will be safe there in the Jedi enclave. It will give us a chance to regroup and we can both consult our superiors," she responded.

Unless something changed drastically, he would be only too happy to drop her snarky Jedi ass off on Dantooine and leave her there. He was finished with this mission. Nothing but a bunch of double talk, destruction, and death… The Commander would rather be going toe to toe with the Sith in a straight out fight any day.

"Sounds like a plan," Carth acknowledged.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to visit the doctor, and see if he's heard from the bounty hunter. I think it's best if you stay here, out of sight; you're the one they're looking for," Carth informed her heading for the door.

"As you wish Commander. And please do your best to hurry, you have no idea what would be unleashed if Malak should capture us now. We must escape as soon as possible," Bastilla replied to Carth's quickly retreating form.

"Don't worry Bastilla; I will get us safely off Taris. One way or another," Carth tossed over his shoulder; hoping he could follow through on his promise.


	7. Chapter 6 - The Enemy of My Enemy

_A/N: A tremendous thank you to my reviewers, favoriters, and followers. I really appreciate the support. I hope to make you all proud._

**Chapter Six**

**The Enemy of My Enemy**

"_Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them?" _

**_- __Abraham __Lincoln_**

Carth never made it to the doctor's. Forn had contacted him on his way there, and sent him to the cantina where they'd met the last bounty hunter. When Traviata had checked in with him, he directed her to meet him at the turbolift near the clinic. She must have been in the area, because she was waiting just outside the entrance for him when he arrived.

"Hey, there. Been waiting long?" Carth asked.

"Not really, I stopped by earlier and chatted with Forn a bit since he was so close," Traviata supplied, entering the lift as it opened.

Carth nodded, thumbing the lift control and sending them on their way.

"Did you know the compound where they were holding Bastilla was once the headquarters for Revan and Malak? They ran their operations from there during the Mandalorian wars," she said conversationally, the lift humming as they sped along.

"Yeah, I figured as much; it was too sophisticated for the gang down there to have engineered. I remember hearing rumors about it during the war. No one knew the exact location though. The dead give away was the force cage; those things are rare," Carth answered. "How did you know? Did Forn tell you that?"

She nodded distractedly, an annoying buzzing in the back of her mind.

Traviata punched the stop button, jostling them.

Carth steadied himself on the doorway, putting a protective arm out to catch Traviata.

She met Carth's startled expression, her breathing coming fast.

"What?" Carth asked.

It was crazy, she felt like they were in danger. Of course they were in danger, she told herself, but it was something imminent. Some specific danger they were heading to.

She gave her head a shake, "Sorry, my, um hand slipped. Lost my balance," The soldier couldn't bring herself to tell him the truth, and she jabbed the control restarting the lift.

Carth raised an eyebrow at that. "You're a terrible liar, Traviata."

"Just with you for some reason," she said candidly.

The lift began to slow as they came to their level; Traviata put a hand on Carth's arm. "I can't explain why, I don't understand it myself, but be extra cautious," she warned, unbuckling her holster.

The Commander nodded, thumbing the strap holding his weapon, not sure what to say to that. Given their luck lately, he went ahead and extracted his weapon. Traviata was acting strange, even for the stressful circumstances.

They exited the lift and had only gone about three meters when they were ambushed. It wasn't much of a fight; the petty thugs were out of their league. When the last one fell to the ground, Carth turned to Traviata.

"They look like they belong to the gang that was holding Bastilla," Carth said, bending down examining them.

"They're wearing the same uniform, if you can call it that," he said standing, moving to Traviata. Word of their handy work must be getting around; they had officially worn out their welcome.

"How did you know?" he asked incredulously.

Traviata shook her head, her confusion evident, "I, I don't know, Carth. I just had a feeling there was danger waiting for us. It's not the first time, that's why I ran off both times in the sewers. I felt this compulsion, almost a drive. It's hard to explain.

"I've never felt anything like it. It makes no sense to me and it's driving me crazy," she said adamantly. "I don't know how to make it stop.

"It's like knowing the answer to a question; you didn't even know to ask. But the answer makes no sense, without knowing the question in the first place," she explained.

"Damn Traviata, that almost made sense," Carth replied.

Carth holstered his weapon, his eyes holding hers. "When did this all first start?"

"The sewers. No, the nightmares started on the Spire. Like the flashes I see whenever I'm around Bastilla," she said in a rush, happy to be finally telling him about it. "What I've seen when I'm near Bastilla is terrifying. I simply don't know what to do, Carth. I feel like I'm losing control."

Carth scratched at his chin and nodded, aware they weren't in the best place for this conversation and they really didn't have the time. Traviata was shaken by whatever it was that was happening to her. He knew one thing for certain; it all came back to Bastilla. Carth was going to confront the Jedi with all of it when they got back to the apartment.

"We're going to get to the bottom of it, Traviata. I promise you we will figure it out. In the mean time try to put it out of your mind, at least for now," the Captain encouraged.

Traviata holstered her weapon, feeling better just knowing Carth was aware now of these strange feelings she was having. She knew too that he'd be as good as his word; they would figure it out.

"Of course, yes, our meeting. Thanks," she offered.

"No, thank _you_. Whatever is going on with you, I know one thing," he paused, wanting to bring a smile to her face.

"You just saved my ass, beautiful," Carth said giving her a real smile and a wink.

Traviata moved in closer to the Commander, bringing her lips to his ear, her hand around the back of his head. This man touched a part of her she hadn't known existed until now.

"You don't have to thank me. Don't you know that?" she whispered, recalling Carth's words in the rancor's den.

Carth took her head in both his hands, something igniting in him, his eyes smoldering, their lips almost touching.

Traviata thought her heart would explode it was beating so fast. Carth's mouth hovered over hers for what felt like minutes. It had seemed like he was going to kiss her, but then changed his mind and leaned his forehead on hers instead for a moment before releasing her. His hand took her elbow, guiding her toward the cantina.

"We need to get off this planet. Let's get this over with," he said, his focus clearly back on track with the mission.

The bar was packed, and they only had Forn's description to go by to find the bounty hunter. The pair stopped at the bar and picked up three drinks and made the rounds looking for him.

"There, sitting in that alcove. That's got to be him," Traviata declared, nudging Carth with her elbow.

Forn said he'd never met anyone else like him and never wanted to either. The doctor said he was obvious, crude, loud, extremely muscular, and itching for a fight. He'd also had the largest blaster rifle he'd ever seen.

Carth froze in place his eyes widening, "Can't be."

"I'm telling you, that's him, look at that rifle, it's immense. I don't know how he carries it, much less hit anything with it," Traviata commented.

"It's a Mandalorian Assault Rifle; its range is as far as three hundred meters, it's most deadly at about 125 to 130 meters though, and it holds roughly 500 shots. It will rip a human to pieces in just a few rounds, it's so loud that it sounds more like a laser canon," Carth paused, his eyes drifting to Traviata's. "They carry them quite easily. And when you have something that powerful holding that many shots, trust me, you don't have to be that accurate to cause devastation."

"I'm sorry, Carth," was all Traviata could think to say. The sight of this man obviously stirred up some bad memories for him.

"You're not that much younger than me, you must have served in the Mandalorian Wars too. There was no mention of it in your records though," Carth noted.

"I was training during the wars; it's all a blur now. The countless hours, weeks, months and years spent training all run into each other. We didn't really have much outside contact either, as you can imagine," Traviata explained.

The Captain considered this and then looked back at the man, huge even for a Mandalorian. "I suppose we should go get this over with."

The pair walked over to the table. Traviata slid a drink across to the man, who caught it deftly in his hand.

"Su'cuy," Traviata greeted the man. "Canderous?"

"You speak Mando'a almost perfectly, just a slight accent," he said, slowly taking in the appearance of Traviata. "I'd be happy to give you lessons," he paused meaningfully. "Private lessons."

Carth stepped in front of Traviata, pushing her aside and partially behind him. Typical Mandalorian behavior, they were all like animals. "The lady isn't interested."

"I didn't hear her say that," the man countered, his eyes still raking the soldier.

"Why would I want to learn an irrelevant language better? It's pretty useless since you lost the war," Traviata said, moving to stand at Carth's side.

The Mandalorian roared with laughter at her response

The Commander's eyes shot a warning to Traviata. Nothing a Mandalorian loved more than a spirited female; if she was trying to shut him down, it wouldn't work that way.

Carth leaned across the table.

"Are you Canderous or not?" Carth ground out.

The man grinned hugely, "Yes, but I want to talk to the woman."

Traviata said nothing, heeding Carth's unspoken warning. The Commander obviously did not want her involved in the discussion; she'd stay out of it. He looked ready to explode as it was.

"You'll deal with me or not at all," Carth shot back. There was a part of him that wanted this to end in violence. The man sitting in front of him reminded him of all the reasons the Republic Military had ended up begging the Jedi for their assistance in the war.

"You're the ones Forn told me about. I'm betting you're the same ones that busted that Jedi out too," he said with appreciation. These guys might actually be interesting; he could probably even see some real action again. At least he might get the chance to go out like a warrior instead of rotting on this planet, playing enforcer to a bunch of children with weapons.

"Yes, Forn sent us. I've got no time for games with you. Can you get us off this planet or not?" Carth demanded, his voice and mood reflecting the end of his patience.

"Yeah. I've got access to a ship, but it'll be tricky. Nuthin' I can't handle, of course. The ship is a Dynamic-class freighter, with lots of very special modifications, including an extremely powerful hyperdrive and reinforced shields. It will take every bit of it I'm guessing, to get you free from the Sith that will be up your ass. It'll do the job though," Canderous explained. "That is if you can do your part."

"My part? What's that? Credits? I can get you all you want when we get out of here," Carth spat with disgust.

"No. Someone, meaning you and your um, associates, will have to break into the Sith base and steal the security codes. Ship's no good without those, they'll blow us out of the sky," Canderous supplied.

Breaking into a Sith base was a suicide mission, but staying here could even be worse if the Sith got their hands on Bastilla. Carth considered his words for a moment. He had no choice but to accept the deal; there were no other options. At least it was the least terrible of the horrible choices they had available.

"Fine. We'll get the codes," Carth answered, standing up, his patience at its end.

"Word of warning though: I'd make it quick. They've increased the bounty on the Jedi's head and there are some very nasty characters hoping to collect," Canderous informed him.

"You being one of them?" Carth interjected.

"No, not this time. I'm content with our arrangement," he said, a smile creeping up his face. "That is unless you want to throw in the female."

Carth grabbed him by the collar, pulling him halfway across the table, holding his face to the table with the Captain's blaster pressed to the man's head.

This is exactly what the enraged Republic Captain had wanted to happen from the moment he walked in the door. He was just waiting for an excuse to pull his blaster on this Mandalorian. All they knew was fighting, aggression, survival of the fittest. The Commander had spent his life protecting innocents from the likes of him.

"Forget about her or you're dead. You double cross us, you're dead," Carth ground out, his grip tightening as the Mandalorian struggled. In fact with the security codes, he didn't need this piece of bantha dung at all. He could get his hands on a ship, with the codes they should make it. His finger curled into the trigger.

The Commander felt a light hand on his back, his gaze shot to the form behind him. Traviata didn't say a word; her eyes held his for a moment and then she removed her hand.

Carth yanked up the Mandalorian, his rage powering him, making him more than a match for Canderous. The Commander's pistol was still at his head. With extreme effort he lowered the weapon and shoved the Mandalorian into his chair.

"I'll let you know when we get the codes," Carth said darkly. Taking Traviata by the arm he guided her quickly out of the pub.

The Republic Captain's anger was palpable as he stormed to the turbolift, not letting go of Traviata's arm until they were inside. He angrily keyed in their destination.

"Do you want to talk about it, Carth?" Traviata asked, leaning against the wall on the other side of the car, crossing her arms. Seeing the Mandalorian had certainly unleashed a fury in the man he'd previously kept in check.

"Talk about what?" he bit out, gazing darkly at nothing in particular.

"How about why you're so pissed off for starters," she shot back, raising an eyebrow. "I mean I get it, the war, he's Mandalorian which-"

"What the hell would you know about it? You've admited you have no practical experience with them. You don't know what they're capable of, I do, I've seen it first hand. They respect nothing but their own code. They kill whoever is in their way of what they want. Civilians, women, even children," Carth ranted.

The Republic soldier recalled skirmishes in which he'd seen the bodies of dead and dying women and children. Their faces were often featured in his nightmares. Images played through his mind of trying to comfort grieving parents and spouses amidst the smoking rubble of their homes , cities, hell, even their lives, he thought with a grunt. The words he'd used so many years ago mocked him; he'd tried to ease the suffering of those who'd lost everything. Now he knew, there was precious little comfort in mere words.

"Carth, did you lose family during the war with the Mandalorians?" she wondered out loud.

"No, not to the Mandalorians," he said distractedly, his thoughts far away.

"You lost family though then? The Sith? You know it's not good to keep it all bottled up. It might help to talk about it," she said putting a tentative hand on his arm.

"I don't want to talk about," Carth's eyes darted angrily to hers and then quickly away.

"I bet you don't talk to anyone about it. That will eat you up inside. What happened?" Traviata persisted.

"I said I don't want to talk about it," his eyes met hers, flashing a warning.

"Well, I think you should. You have all this anger just waiting to explode all over-" she started.

"Damn it if you aren't the most frustrating, stubborn woman I've ever met," Carth cut in, his brow puckering.

"Probably. But you would feel better if you talked about it. I hate to see you like this, I-" she persevered.

"Alright, alright, alright," he said, gesturing with his hands, his voice rising. "Fine, we'll talk about it. Later," he said holding his hand up as she opened her mouth.

"Not a word, Traviata. Later," he demanded, the turbolift coming to a halt.

Traviata nodded her response, stepping out of the car. "Okay fine, but I won't forget."

Carth let go an exasperated breath, "Oh I don't doubt that for a second."


	8. Chapter 7 - Reluctant Revelations

**A/N: **Thank you a thousand times for your kind words and generous spirit. I deeply appreciate any that read my story.

**Chapter Seven**

**Reluctant Revelations**

"_Revelation can be more perilous than Revolution."_

**- Vladimir Nabokov**

It was late and the spacious apartment was dimly lit when Traviata and Carth entered the quiet flat. After a quick inspection of the place, they found it to be empty; well, at least that's what they thought.

"Hey, there," Mission's soft voice called. Traviata went to the living area where she found Mission nestled into one of the deep chairs in the living area.

"Hey, Mission," Traviata said, flopping into a matching chair beside her.

"Where are the others?" Carth asked frowning, looking around the room.

"Zalbaar, went up onto the roof for some fresh air. He hates being cooped up inside. He figured not too many people would notice him up there," she replied.

"I can understand that," Carth agreed, remembering his first encounter with the wookie chained up to the wall, barely able to move.

"Bastilla?" Carth said soberly. The Jedi was taking a very big risk leaving the safety of their hideout.

"You mean the Ice Queen?" Mission snorted contemptuously. "That doctor came by wanting to talk to you Carth, about some test results or something. He wanted you to come see him. I didn't really hear that much of the conversation; Bastilla said she could go handle it. She hasn't been back since."

"How long has she been gone?" Traviata asked, her gaze drifting to Carth's.

"I don't know exactly, a while," Mission replied, her lack of interest obvious.

"Thanks, Kid," Carth said. "Traviata, a minute of your time" Carth said over his shoulder, walking briskly to the kitchen.

Traviata watched Mission sitting in the big chair; she seemed so small and helpless.

Traviata felt bad for the young twi'lek. The private was going to talk to Carth about taking her with them when they left Taris. Mission had no one but the wookie, and Carth had already said he was getting Zalbaar off the planet. He said it would only be a matter of time before he was picked up again and sold into slavery if he stayed. Traviata feared a similar fate for the beautiful blue skinned twi'lek. Mission had already shared with her that she'd been working as a dancer in the cantinas for years. Traviata wanted to help get her into a situation where she would have the opportunity to use her computer skills, maybe even the military. Intelligence would be happy to get someone with her talents.

"Traviata?" Carth's voice brought Traviata quickly to her feet.

"Duty calls," Traviata said mildly, touching Mission's shoulder.

"I"m sure he's got something in mind. Probably searching for the not to get yourself captured this time," Mission teased lightly.

Traviata shot her a glare that held no menace. "Yeah, yeah. I told you it was a bad day."

The Commander watched Traviata approach already knowing what he was going to do. Hopefully the reckless Jedi hadn't gotten herself into trouble.

"I'm going to go look for Bastilla. I want you to stay here -" Carth said.

Just then Bastilla walked through the door.

Carth's gaze narrowed with suspicion as he watched the petite brunette.

"I'm going to see what info I can find on the Sith base," Traviata muttered, already moving in the direction of the bedrooms.

Carth caught her by the arm, halting her retreat. "No, no more running," he said firmly.

So he'd noticed her hasty retreat every time she saw the Jedi, Traviata thought. She looked over to find him watching her. There was determination in his eyes that she knew better than to argue with. He was right though anyway, she needed some answers.

With a sigh of acceptance, Traviata gave him a slight nod. Something softened in his eyes. Giving her arm a light squeeze he walked over to the Jedi, Traviata trailing slightly behind him.

"Where have you been? I was getting ready to go out looking for you," Carth demanded gruffly.

"The doctor wanted to see me. He just wanted to make sure we had adequate supplies and such," Bastilla replied.

"See you? I thought he wanted to see me, and I thought it was about test results?" Carth corrected. More Jedi lies and misdirection; the Commander couldn't wait to get off Taris and rid himself of the Jedi.

Bastilla's gaze flitted to Mission and back to Carth. "Yes, Commander that is true. However you weren't here and the test results didn't concern you; they were something I was well aware of and it's been treated already."

Carth considered her words for a moment. He didn't buy it. Whether she was lying in full or in part was all he wasn't sure of. He'd talk to Forn after they got the codes and see if his story matched the Jedi's.

"Well then, didn't that work out nicely," Carth retorted with barely disguised sarcasm.

"That is what happens, Commander, when you let the will of the Force guide you," Bastilla shot back, arching one eyebrow. "So how did your meeting go?"

"Fine. We're going to have to break into a Sith base and get the security codes to get past the blockade. I hope your Force can help us out with that one," Carth countered. The more he was around the woman, the more he disliked and distrusted her. In fact he was getting close to loathing the Jedi.

"As do I, Commander," Bastilla agreed, starting to step away. "Let me know when I can be of assistance. Until then I'm going to meditate."

"Not so fast, Bastilla. I want to know if there is something you can clear up for us," Carth said, his tone and expression stiff. He noticed that the Jedi had not looked once at Traviata.

"Of course. What is it, Commander?" Bastilla asked.

"When I first met you, I saw flashes, images of _you_ fighting some masked, caped figure. They're similar to recent nightmares I've had as well," Traviata spoke up, taking a step forward. "It happened again, when you came in the door just now too."

Carth's eyes were watching both women carefully, noting Bastilla's surprised look before she concealed it.

There was an uncomfortable silence for a moment, as the Jedi considered her words.

"That masked figure you saw was Darth Revan," Bastilla responded, hesitant in her tone and manner.

"It was when you killed Revan? Wasn't it?" Traviata noted uneasily.

Bastilla nodded.

"Also, I've been having these strange feelings, urges, compulsions almost. It happened when we were trying to get to you in the sewers… twice. Once, warning me of danger and the other guided me to Mission," Traviata explained.

"It also happened tonight, a very strong feeling of danger before we were ambushed. I've never experienced anything like this. It all seemed to start-" Traviata started.

"From the moment we came into close proximity of each other," the Jedi supplied.

"Darth Revan's death is a very strong memory for me, as far as the visions go…" Bastilla's tone and manner uneasy. "I think you might be Force sensitive Traviata."

"What?" Carth and Traviata said at the same time, their shock evident.

"If you are sensitive to the Force, then you could be reading all types of things. My very strong memory of Revan's death, danger, a young girl in distress, it's quite normal for a Jedi who's in tune with the Force. The Force connects all living things, Traviata, and I think that you may have the ability to feel that," Bastilla said, carefully watching Traviata's face. "I've been observing you and your _feelings_."

Traviata looked to Carth's angry expression and back to the Jedi. "You're saying I could use the Force? Be a _Jedi_?" she asked incredulously. Well at least she wasn't going crazy, but a Jedi?

"Perhaps in time, with training. I need to talk to the Jedi Council on Dantooine before I say any more," Bastilla's voice sounded distracted.

"Yeah, I think you've said quite enough," Carth muttered with disdain. He was willing to bet that was the reason she wanted Traviata on the mission to begin with. Somehow she knew or suspected that Traviata had some gift with the Force, before the mission had even began. Bastilla had said she needed Traviata's skills, with no mention of what those particular skills were. No way was he standing by and letting her suck Traviata into that cult.

"I think you answered her questions and now everyone would do well with some rest _before_we break _into_a Sith base," Carth continued. He had a feeling it would be easier getting in the base, than out of it.

"Yes, I agree. Enough has been said about it for now, Commander," Bastilla said, her gaze lingering on Traviata before hastily retreating to her room.

Carth turned to Traviata, her eyes had a far away look and he wondered what she could be thinking.

"Traviata?"

"Yes," she responded distractedly, not looking at him.

"Hey, put all the stuff she said out of your head; at least for the time being, okay?" Carth suggested.

When she didn't respond he took her chin between his thumb and forefinger and turned her head to face him.

"Traviata, what is it?" Carth asked.

"All this- all these feelings, visions. Carth, she said I was having visions, for frak's sake. I'm just a soldier. It's just so overwhelming to think about," she said, an involuntary shiver running through her.

"Hey, it's okay," he folded her into his arms, embracing her lightly. He was surprised when she returned his embrace with a tight one of her own. "Try not to think of any of it. It'll be okay." Carth promised, rubbing her back. The Commander couldn't wait to get some distance between them and the Jedi.

He could feel Traviata shaking her head against his chest. She pulled away slightly from Carth, her eyes frantic, darting all over. "No, it's not okay, Carth. I can feel it. I don't know how to explain it, other than to say I've got this feeling. To say it's the Force guiding me, that's just too much," she trailed off.

"I get it," Carth acknowledged. He didn't like the idea of her giving herself over to something so powerful. He'd seen what destruction that power could cause. "Try to block it out of your mind."

"No. Carth, what I mean is, those feelings, I can't control them, it just happens," Traviata paused, her eyes going vacant for a moment before she continued. "Carth, I'm afraid. I know we are all in very real danger; we have to get off this planet. As soon as we can, Carth," her voice held the panic evident in her eyes, still looking about the room, as if searching for something she couldn't find.

Carth frowned and then nodded. She was terrified; it was evident in her eyes and voice. He hated the idea of her feeling afraid of anything, and he realized in that moment he would do almost anything to make her safe. Putting a hand on either side of her head, "Traviata, I want you to look at me."

When she had met his gaze he continued. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you. I will get us safely off this planet, that's a promise," Carth assured her. I'm also going to do everything in my power to keep you out of the Jedi's clutches too, was the promise he made silently to himself.

Traviata stared at the man in front of her and knew he meant it. She put a hand over one of his, nodding. "I know you will, Carth. I'm sorry, it's just so-"

"Weird," Mission said from behind the pair. "You two make a cute couple by the way. You know, for old people at least."

Carth and Traviata both turned simultaneously, breaking their embrace, but still standing close enough to be touching.

Traviata had forgotten Mission was still sitting in the other room, she must have heard all that was said.

"All that Jedi stuff is strange," Mission said, rising from her perch.

"I can't argue with that," Traviata said, ignoring her other comments.

"I can help you with getting into the Sith base you know," Mission offered.

"No way, kid. Too dangerous," Carth said firmly.

"I'll just get you in; the rest is up to guys. I'm not stupid, Carth. Besides, it's the only way you will get in. None of you can re-code as fast as me," Mission replied.

Carth considered her offer; there shouldn't be any real danger if that's all she did. The kid had been through enough, he didn't want to be counted in the many that'd used her with no regard for her well being. He'd seen it happen on many planets, the strong taking advantage of the weak. This planet was especially guilty of that.

"Okay, kid. You get us in, you don't enter the base and then you'll wait for us here. I'll get Zalbaar to stay here with you, just in case," Carth agreed. If things went south, they'd both stand a better chance if they were together.

"Thanks, by the way. You don't have to you know," Carth added.

"I know, but I want to help you guys get off world. You helped me and Zalbaar when we needed it. I want to do this for you, help you escape-"

Mission thought he would leave her here to fend for herself, along with the wookie. He couldn't blame her, she probably hadn't seen much in the way of kindness in her life.

"Kid, you can't stay here. I mean you don't want to do you?" Carth asked. "Zalbaar isn't staying you know," he added. He didn't want to force her if she wanted to stay, though he couldn't imagine why she'd want to. Without the wookie as her bodyguard, she'd be an easy target for the crime gangs on Taris.

The commander's gaze drifted to Traviata, finding her watching him with admiration in her eyes. It was obvious she must have been having the same thoughts about not leaving Mission. He knew Traviata had spent more time talking to Mission than he had. She'd shared with him the little she'd gleaned about the twi'lek's past. Basically it boiled down to her being abandoned on Taris by her brother when she was very young; forcing her to do a myriad of things just to survive. It had been her brother who'd first taught her how to hack into computers. The girl had a lot of tough breaks, and it was time someone did something to help her out.

Traviata didn't know why she'd expected less of the Captain. Though his natural instincts were to mistrust people, it didn't stop him from acting with compassion, especially with those who needed it so desperately. She'd never had the chance to speak with him about taking Mission with them when they fled Taris. Traviata could tell though that Carth seemed to have a soft spot for the girl. It was how she'd imagined a father would be.

"You'd take me with you? Where would I go? I mean-" Mission asked, her normally dead eyes had a bit of light to them.

"There are a lot of opportunities out there Mission, especially with your skills. You know I think the Republic forces would be a great place for you, specifically in the Intelligence division where I used to work," Traviata put in, turning her attention to the twi'lek. "Of course it's just a suggestion, like I said there are a lot of choices out there for someone with your talent."

"I'll take care of getting you a safe place to stay until you make up your mind. Don't worry, about that. We'll talk more about the details later," Carth quickly assured her. "You do want to leave with us then?"

"Yes, thank you, Carth," Mission said with the first real smile Traviata had seen on her face since meeting her.

"Hey, don't worry about it, kid," Carth said. "Better save the thanks until after we get off the planet. Not to mention the fact that the last ship I piloted was attacked and destroyed. Leaving with us is not without its own risks," Carth pointed out.

Mission nodded, "I understand. It's worth the chance to me." The twi'lek's head-tails twitched. "You know maybe I would like to go into the Republic military. I think they could use my help. Between you cracking up ships, and Traviata capturing and disarming herself for me when we met," she paused, looking from Traviata to Carth. "Yeah, I think that's what I'll do. Maybe then we can actually start winning this war."

Traviata grimaced, "Thanks a lot Mission."

"Really?" Carth asked a hint of laughter in his voice. "How exactly did she capture herself?"

"When she saw me she slipped into a big greasy mess of chemicals. I guess she was trying to catch herself and pulled a work station onto her. That's when she lost her weapon, too. That's when she became my prisoner," Mission supplied, her voice filled with excitement.

"Your prisoner?" Carth's slightly startled voice replied.

"I had a blaster on her and I thought she was one of them, at first anyway," Mission explained.

Traviata's gaze drifted to Carth who was watching her. "Forgot to mention all that, did you?" Well that explained the state she'd returned in that day, he thought.

"It wasn't exactly like that," Traviata's said ambivalently. She glanced to Mission and then back to Carth. "Okay, maybe it was."

"Just slipped your mind to fully debrief me?" Carth quizzed, his tone mild.

"We've been a little busy and it didn't seem important, everything worked out" Traviata defended.

"Ahh, I see," Carth replied. It was partly amusing but very concerning, also. She could have gotten herself killed if the wrong person had been on the other end of the pistol. What she needed was a good healthy dose of fear and humility, then she'd think twice before acting on emotion instead of relying on her military training. She was a good soldier, but reckless.

"Which by the way, shouldn't we get to planning our incursion of the base?" Traviata reminded him. She was completely over this conversation.

Carth considered her words and gave her a quick nod, his feet carrying him to the kitchen table. "You better get some rest kid. We'll let you know when we're ready," Carth said over his shoulder.

Traviata shot Mission a glare that held no malice, before joining the Commander.

"Can't wait to hear the details of that story," Carth said, not taking his eyes from the datapad in his hand when Traviata sat in the chair beside him.

"I bet," Traviata shot back. "Really, there's nothing more to tell. It all turned out okay anyway."

Carth continued to scroll through diagrams of Sith bases; they were all similar actually and he'd long since committed all that information to memory. Under the circumstances though, he decided reviewing the schematics wouldn't be a bad idea. There would be turrets at strategic locations. Other than that the main threat would be any troops they encountered along the way.

"I don't have to tell you that you got very lucky. There's a reason we go in teams, which you know very well, too. Anyway, we've addressed all this. I'm going to assume it won't be an issue we have to revisit," Carth said with reproof. If she pulled a stunt like that on the Sith base, well he didn't want to think of how badly that would go.

Carth rubbed the back of his neck, continuing to scan the display.

Traviata considered the Commander's words. What if she had one of those feelings on the base? So far they'd warned her of impending danger and led her to save a girl who in turn had been invaluable in her assistance with freeing Bastilla. Although the feelings were frightening because she had a hard time controlling them and it was just so new and overwhelming, she couldn't deny that so far they'd only helped their situation.

Carth would never accept that type of reasoning though. Traviata felt conflicted, like she had to choose between being a good soldier and saving lives of the people she'd come to care for. Hopefully it would just be a quick in and out mission and it wouldn't come to that.

"Am I wrong?" Carth asked with strained patience.

Traviata turned to meet his gaze, discovering he was watching her, his brow puckered.

"No," she said without much conviction.

Carth's gaze narrowed. "Like I said before you're a lousy liar," he let go a frustrated breath.

"I'm not lying, it's just," she paused, searching for the words that would help him understand without causing him to burst a vessel. "It's these feelings I've been having, you know I was thinking and so far only good has come from listening to them. Maybe they're not such a terrible thing. Maybe there's a reason for them."

"Traviata, we've been through this. You're a soldier, you follow orders not feelings," he said waving a hand in dismissal. "I can't believe we're still having this same frakin' conversation," he countered getting to his feet, tossing the datapad onto the table.

"Will you just calm down and listen to me for a minute?" Traviata fired back, finding her feet as well. "I'm not saying I won't follow orders. All I'm saying is that these feelings I'm having may be helpful. If I hadn't followed them before, we'd never have met Mission," she continued.

"She just as easily could have been a combatant," Carth countered, his voice rising. "That's not the point anyway."

"What is the point then? I thought we were trying to accomplish a mission. Why can't I be a soldier and use this Force guidance stuff to benefit us? Why are the two things mutually exclusive?" Traviata asked curtly.

"Why?" Carth fumed his voice as cold as his eyes. "Malak and Revan, that's why."

"You're being unreasonable. I'm not some powerful Sith lord, Carth. I'm talking about using this for good, not evil," Traviata snapped.

"That's how it starts. Not to mention, this is about you following orders. A mission plan, that's how the military works. You're not in a frakin' holovid. Good soldiers don't go off acting like some rogue agent," Carth corrected, his hand on his hip, the two now standing toe to toe.

"BSF! I'm calling, bantha shit flag, Commander! This isn't about my putting the mission at risk by not following your directives. It's not about protocol or chain of command," Traviata fired back, placing both hands on her hips. "This is simply about your hatred of the Jedi."

"Enough!" he shouted, pounding a hand onto a nearby wall. "I'm your damn C.O. it's about whatever I say it is."

Traviata glared at him, her chest heaving breaths. "Every frakin time we fight about this you bring our rank into it. You're not being fair."

"It's not about being fair. It's about my being in charge, and you following my orders. That, by the way, is not optional," Carth said, steel in his voice.

"Since it is apparently necessary, you will not leave my side when we're at the Sith base and I will be watching your every move," Carth warned. "You are still a Republic soldier and you will follow my orders."

"You are being so impractical and you're wrong. This isn't about my following orders, at first maybe, but not anymore. Now it's something else. This is about you hating the Jedi and not wanting me to have anything to do with the Force, because you think it _has_to lead to evil," Traviata replied.

He couldn't actually argue with that; he knew she was at least partly right, only partly though.

"Damn it, if you aren't the most stubborn, frustrating, infuriating woman," he retorted, raking a hand through his hair.

"Well, you're-"Traviata started, to angry to think of a good insult. "You're a monkey lizard."

Carth raised an eyebrow, snorting mockingly. "Seriously? That's the best you can do? Go ahead, take your best shot."

"You're the most obstinate, exasperating, Murglak I've ever met!" she fired back.

There was a short silence. "Feel better now?" Carth asked a slight smile on his face.

"No, I don't," Traviata responded, her eyes shifting to the contents of the room. She noted that at some time during their exchange Mission had vacated the area. She let go a long breath.

"What _would_ make me feel better is to understand why you're so intractable in your opinion of the Jedi. With everything Bastilla told me," she paused, her eyes searching his face. "This is important to me and I care about what you think, whether you believe it or not. I don't understand why you have such hate for the Jedi."

She shrugged, when he didn't say anything. "Let me know when you're ready to go. I'll be in the back," Traviata informed him; she turned on her heel and began the trek to her room.

"You asked about my family once," Traviata froze; Carth's voice so quiet she wasn't sure at first that he had spoken.

"I did have a family, they were everything to me. They were on Telos IV when it was obliterated", Carth's voice was a pain racked whisper. Traviata padded silently to his side.

"I'd tried to make it back as fast as I could when I heard of the attack. When I arrived, the planet was nothing but a smoking heap of rubble," Carth continued, staring blankly, reliving his dark memories. Traviata pictured him rushing to his home, his family, only to find everything destroyed. The image brought a lump to her throat; she put a hand on his chest, wanting to comfort him but not wanting to interrupt him now that he'd finally opened up.

"There were wounded and dying everywhere. My home was a pile of charred debris," Carth remembered.

"My-" Carth paused, taking a deep breath, clearing his throat. "My wife was still alive when I arrived, though just barely. I called for the medics, no one came. I was able to hold her at least, as she took her last breath," Carth revealed.

The only sound was that of sniffing from Traviata. Carth looked down at her, noting a single tear running down the side of her face. His eyes narrowed and he used his thumb to wipe away the tear, his hand covering the one she had on his chest.

"Revan caused unbelievable devastation; mine is only one story out of the billions on Telos IV alone. One Jedi caused it. The thing is Traviata; Revan didn't start out as an evil maniacal killer. Revan had helped us in the Mandalorian wars, we'd been happy about it. I'd actually respected and admired Revan during that time," he continued, grasping her hand tightly in his.

"Don't you see, Traviata? Revan and Malak weren't always evil; they started out like you. They wanted to do good things with their power, and that power corrupted them," Carth finished. "I don't want to see that happen to you," he added.

Traviata nodded, covering his hand with her own. "I'm so sorry, Carth. I don't even know the words to say. Thank you for sharing that with me. I understand where all that hate you have comes from now.

"Listen, I don't know what's going to happen with all this Jedi-stuff, and I'm certainly not powerful. I know at this moment though, whatever happens, Carth I won't use this _gift_ for evil. That's a promise I'm making to you," she declared.

Carth nodded slightly. It would have to do for now. It would all be irrelevant if they didn't get off Taris anyway.

"I believe you mean that at this moment," he said, letting go a long breath. "Let's just focus on the task at hand, that's more than enough to deal with at the moment. We'll worry about the other later, when we're far away from here," Carth replied. "Okay?" he added.

"Okay, you're right," she agreed, nodding.


	9. Chapter 8 - Dueling

**Chapter Eight**

**Dueling**

"_Silence __is __the __ultimate __weapon __of __power.__"_

**- ****Charles ****de ****Gaulle**

The door slid open with an quiet swish, and the soft beeping sounds of hundreds of busy machines was all that greeted the tiny group breaking into the back side of the Sith base. The Commander gave the interior a quick look before turning to the Twi'lek at the control panel.

"Thanks, kid. Now burn jets outta' here, and one more thing. I left some information for you at the apartment. If we don't make it back and you're able, use the contact info and tell them exactly what I wrote. They'll help you out," Carth promised.

Mission engulfed the Commander with an unexpected hug.

"Thanks, Carth. You're the best," she gushed. Then she leaned up on her tiptoes to whisper in his ear.

"Going into a Sith base with two people who've recently gotten themselves captured? I'm going to wish you luck, Carth. Please be careful and try not to let Traviata get captured again. They can have the ice queen as far as I'm concerned," she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Hey, be nice kid and don't worry about Traviata, I'll take care of her," Carth promised, glancing at Traviata standing next to Bastilla.

Mission quickly skittered away and the trio stepped cautiously into the base. The door abruptly closed behind them, causing Traviata to eye it warily. "That's some door," she murmured.

"Well, we're in at least," Carth mentally ticked off the list of his action plan. By his estimation the security codes would be on whoever the top ranking official was on the base. They would most likely be located somewhere in the interior of the building. Of course they could be anywhere; they could even be off the premises. That was a chance they had to take.

"He's this way," Bastilla instructed, heading down the bright white corridor.

They passed by several doorways before they encountered their first resistance. Bastilla slammed the group of three into a wall, their blasters flying out of their hands scattering noisily on the floor. The troopers hit the wall so hard it knocked all of them unconscious. Traviata stood, her mouth agape for a moment. She looked at Carth to see him watching the Jedi with disdain.

"You might want to save some of that juice sister, for when we really need it," Carth snapped at the Jedi.

"Don't worry, you'll find I have plenty of, what did you call it, oh yes, _juice_, Commander," Bastilla shot back with her customary, eloquent tone.

Carth rolled his eyes and treaded past the Jedi to the next junction in the corridor. He took a fast look to make sure it was clear and started to move forward and stopped. "Come on, you're with me," he reminded Traviata mildly.

"I think it's better if the two of you follow me. If we run into resistance, I can shield us for a brief moment anyway. It would be long enough to give us the advantage," Bastilla countered.

Carth's brow furrowed momentarily before making up his mind. "Fine, after you then Bastilla," he said gesturing with his blaster in hand.

They tiptoed up to a large room with an open doorway; the sound of voices, the humming of machinery, and the sound of heavy boots on steel greeted them.

It was too late to run as five Sith soldiers rounded the corner.

Bastilla used the force to send them falling backward, their blasters firing aimlessly as they landed.

Carth and Traviata sent a rain of blaster bolts down on the group; their returning fire didn't reach them. Realizing the Jedi had thrown up a shield around them, Carth advanced on the group.

Traviata followed suit, the two making headway. There were only three left returning fire when three more troopers came running out of the room just ahead firing their repeating blasters.

Then the shield protecting them collapsed.

Carth swore under his breath and pulled something from his pocket while the two began backing up.

"Oh crap," Traviata said, glancing over at Carth, before shooting another couple of rounds at a quickly approaching trooper. "Is there enough room in here to use one of those?"

"Close your eyes and cover your ears," the Commander warned, tossing the flash grenade at the group.

While the soldiers were disabled, Traviata and Carth resumed their assault.

A sharp hiss from behind Traviata caused her to turn in time to see Bastilla jump forward, her light saber twirling madly as she landed. Her weapon repelled the ammo aimed at her.

Carth and Traviata were able to take out three more troopers while Bastilla finished off the others.

It suddenly went quiet except for the humming of the light saber and the sound of sizzling electronics damaged in the fire fight.

The trio quickly ducked into the room ahead. It was filled with banks of monitors with thousands of tiny lights flashing on their panels.

"Can you pull up a map?" Bastilla asked.

"Quickly, we're about to have a lot of company," Carth said with a grimace, keeping watch at the doorway.

"Got it," Traviata answered, her fingers flying on the panel. A large map popped up on the display.

Pointing to a turbolift, "There, that will take us to him," Bastilla declared.

"Who's this him you keep referring to?" Carth shot back, throwing her a sideways glance. He calculated they had less than ten minutes before an entire squad came rushing down the hall. Even Bastilla's skills couldn't protect them from that. They needed to move out. "Never mind, tell me on the way. We need to go. Now."

Traviata rushed to the door, checking her weapon to see if it had finished re-charging. It was almost there, but not ready yet.

Carth walked over to her, giving her weapon a quick glance. "Poor blaster; the abuse you inflict on it should be criminal. You hold the damn trigger too long, Viata, that's why it keeps overheating and losing its charge. Remember, small controlled bursts," he informed her with a grimace.

She shrugged staring at her weapon with dismay. "Yeah, I think it's the blaster."

"It's not the blaster, it's the operator," Carth corrected her with a sigh.

"Sure it is, that's why this blaster keeps crapping out on me," Traviata shot back.

"Yeah, as a matter of fact it is," Carth said.

Bastilla ran past the pair and they bolted after her. "Just stay close, I'll give you my extra side arm," he said over his shoulder in an all out run after the Jedi.

"Good, this one has never worked right," Traviata replied from behind him.

Carth decided to let it go, that was a battle for another time and he put on some more speed trying to catch up with the Jedi.

They'd gotten about 30 meters when Traviata stopped; there was something in the room ahead behind the closed door. Something she needed was in there. The feeling was overwhelming, tugging at her. Carth was just ahead, and he'd be furious, but her feelings had been right so far. This urge was telling her not to go on before retrieving the object in the room. If she was fast he'd never even know she'd broken away momentarily, that is if she was lucky.

Before she new it her feet had carried her to the doorway which slid quickly open. Four soldiers occupied the room; Traviata raised her pistol, squeezing the trigger. Nothing happened.

"Damn it," she used the blaster to hit the trooper lunging for her.

He fell back across the table in the center of the room, her blaster hummed finally charged.

Then there it was, in the hands of a Sith soldier, the reason she was here. It gleamed in the light, as the man twirled the double edged sword, a smug smile on his face.

The Republic soldier sent a spray of blaster bolts, and rolled to the cover of a nearby storage locker. The group in the back of the room had flipped over the table and was using it to hide behind.

A lot of good a sword would do the bolt head in a blaster fight, she thought. The ricocheting of weapons fire danced and bounced all around her, causing her to scrunch further behind her cover. She was out gunned and out numbered, her mind scrambled for a plan.

A shower of blaster fire went over Traviata's head, and the sound of Carth's swearing was behind her.

Frak, she thought, so much for luck.

Then the table went flying back against the wall. Carth sent another volley of fire across the room and then everything went silent. It was all over in seconds.

Traviata felt herself being jerked up by her arm from the ground so quickly it made her lose her breath.

"Carth, she just has to learn to control these feelings. This is all new to her, she simply needs-"" Bastilla started saying from the doorway, a withering glare from the Commander silenced her.

"What she needs is my concern not yours, Bastilla. Wait for us at the turbolift, we'll be right behind you," Carth said returning his attention to Traviata. He'd been right before, she definitely needed a good dose of humility and fear, as well as a reminder of who was in charge.

His eyes burned with anger. "You act like a child, without a thought about the consequences of your actions, to yourself or others. You don't obey direct orders, again like a willful child," he paused, his eyes narrowing. "If we weren't about to be joined by a squad of angry Sith, I swear I'd teach you the lesson you so desperately need."

"I'd like to see you try," Traviata shot back.

"Believe me; I'll do more than try. You're just lucky I don't have the time right now. Believe me though, it's coming and soon," his grip tightening against her struggling.

He'd been terrified when he'd looked back to see her not there, and then to hear the sounds of battle, images of arriving too late to save his wife had flashed before him.

He let go a long breath. Quickly checking his chrono, he then tugged her toward the door; they had to get out of there now.

Traviata used all her strength and broke free, rushing toward the back of the room where the sword laid. Carth would never listen to her; she'd have to grab it quickly. Traviata picked up the sword, a shiver running through her as she held it.

"What the frak is wrong with you? Do you have a death wish?" Carth yelled following her.

"I don't know why, but I had to come get this. You're such a frakin' bully sometimes, you won't even give me the chance to explain," Traviata said, holding out the blade for him to see while holstering her blaster. It surprised her how comfortable it felt in her grasp. Its rather long length didn't really bother her like she assumed it would.

Carth's brow furrowed, but he wasn't sure what pissed him off the most about this whole thing. He didn't have the luxury of thinking about it at the moment. "The force led you to a kinrath double sword? That's what you risked your life for? "

She nodded her response as he took her arm leading her to the door. "Frakin Force. Well you got what you came for and now we've got no time."

Carth didn't let go of Traviata until they were in the turbolift, noting the apprehension in Bastilla's eyes when she caught sight of the sword. "The force led her to it. Apparently like it's leading you to whom exactly?"

"A dark Jedi; he has the security codes. Don't be alarmed though. He's only an apprentice, and he's no match for me. He doesn't even have a light saber. It'll be like putting down a kinrath hound," Bastilla answered.

"The force apparently gives you a lot more details than it does Traviata," Carth returned.

"That's because I'm trained in the ways of the Force and have control that she lacks," Bastilla shot back, casting a hesitant eye at Traviata. "If the council approves, we will teach you how to use the Force and most importantly control."

Control would be good, not so worried about how to use the Force though, Traviata thought. She'd love to put an end to all of these irrational urges and banish her frequent nightmares.

"Enough Bastilla. Stop putting all this crap in her head, she's a Republic soldier not a member of your little cult. Besides, learning control didn't seem to help Revan and Malak, it only made them better killers," Carth shot back.

The Captain's angry eyes held Bastilla's before she looked away.

Carth felt an unease come over him; something wasn't right. "Great, it's catching," he mumbled under his breath. He rolled his shoulders, his muscles tired and tense.

Traviata felt a cold shiver run up her spine as the lift came to a stop, the door opening instantaneously.

Carth's eyes scanned the area, it looked clear and he stepped out of the car, both of his side arms in his hands. Bastilla walked ahead of the pair toward a singular doorway, there were no other hallways or junctions.

"This is all that's up here? Seem strange to anyone else?" Carth asked.

"It's where he meditates and practices. I can feel the evil reaching out, he's aware we're coming for him," Bastilla supplied, almost at the door now.

"Well, there's a comforting thought," Carth replied, glancing sideways at Traviata. She held his gaze, her eyes filled with alarm.

"Just stay close to me, it'll be okay," he assured her.

Traviata felt cold all over as they stood at the door, which opened with a speed she'd never seen before.

There it stood before her, the reason for the double bladed sword.

"You," he spat with venom, his black eyes taking in the group and holding a double sword of his own.

"My master will reward me well for this," he added, freezing Carth and Bastilla in place.

Traviata stood facing the menacing man in front of her, noting the helpless condition of her companions. Her blade rose instinctively to block the attempted blow by him, her hands twirling the weapon as she moved further into the room.

The Sith attacked furiously, with anger and energy, raining blow after blow on Traviata.

Traviata was able to block him, but that was draining, the sword was heavy and his strength enormous.

Another strike came, this time it was so hard it made the blade vibrate in her hand, sending her to the floor.

The apprentice quickly jumped to her side, readying his weapon for his final strike.

Traviata used her legs and kicked him with all her might, sending him falling backward but not landing on the ground.

The pair circled the room, twirling their blades, each looking for the advantage.

The Sith struck first, beginning a fierce exchange of blows between the two, sparks flying when their blades connected.

The apprentice made contact with her side, causing Traviata to swear.

The Sith looked to the frozen pair, the very beginnings of slight movement evident in them. He moved closer, spinning his sword, his intent obvious.

Traviata's mind screamed NO! They were still helpless, defenseless.

She ran full out, using the wall to jump against to add to her power as she brought her blade down across the neck of their attacker. The shock in his gaze was still there as his severed head rolled along the floor.

Traviata's breath was coming fast as adrenaline flowed through her veins. When she felt a hand on her shoulder she jumped back, her sword ready to strike.

"Hey, hey, hey. It's me. It's over, you killed him," Carth assured her, holding both hands up taking a tentative step closer.

"I did?" she asked.

"Oh yeah, he's dead. Take my word for it," Carth promised, casting a furtive glance at the dismembered head lying in the corner of the room. He'd been able to see and hear everything while in stasis, frustrating him more as he struggled to get free. Traviata had fought with a skill he'd never seen, handling the sword like it was a part of her.

His eyes scanned Traviata's appearance noting the blood trickling from where he'd watched the Sith's blade strike her. He moved over to her, putting his hands over her wound, grimacing when she cried out. "You're injured; I've got to slow down the bleeding."

"Bastilla, a little help," Carth said tensely over his shoulder, his eyes holding Traviata's pain filled ones. "It'll be okay."

Bastilla appeared at his side instantly.

"Put him down like a kinrath, huh? He's no match for you. Yeah, right," he huffed. "She's seriously injured because of your arrogance," Carth ground out.

"I'm sorry. I underestimated his skill," Bastilla apologized, placing her hands on Traviata. Carth's confused gaze met hers. "I can heal her, she'll be fine, Carth," she explained.

In mere seconds Traviata's eyes cleared, "I feel much better now. I had no idea that Jedi could do that, thank you."

"Thank you. You saved our lives," Bastilla informed her with a slight nod, holding her gaze for a moment before moving to the body of the apprentice, searching his attire.

"You're really okay?" Carth asked moving his blood covered hand from her side, so he could see her injury.

"I'm a little shaky, but I feel fine, I-"

The rest of her words were cut off. Carth's mouth covered hers in an emotion filled kiss; his hands laced through her hair, pulling her head to his. His lips hard against hers, his tongue hungrily searched her mouth demanding her response. Traviata wrapped an arm around his head, wanting him closer, her kiss equally as intense, making her own desires known. His kiss softened, becoming tender, his hand cradling her cheek when he broke the kiss.

They held each other's eyes for a moment, their kiss leaving no doubt that both of them had intense feelings for the other. Bastilla clearing her throat from the doorway caused both of them to look at her, remembering where they were.

"I have the codes Commander, I suggest we leave now and get off this planet. The sooner, the better," Bastilla said her eyes as blank as her face.

"Finally Bastilla, something we can agree on," Carth shot back, reluctantly releasing Traviata.


	10. Chapter 9 - Beginnings and Endings

**A/N: **

First, I want to say thank you, I really appreciate you taking your time to go on this journey with me.

Second, a giant load of thanks for the comments, follows, and favs. You are so very kind and generous.

Third and lastly, about chapter nine...

I make mistakes but I own them, so here's some honesty. I ran into some issues with this chapter. I have an awesome editor; she does her best to point out when something doesn't make sense or reads poorly. I heavily rely on her for assistance with grammar and sentence structure. Also, she understands who my characters are and tries to help me stay true to them. I had a scene in chapter nine between Carth and Traviata in which the original version sounded a bit porn-y (her word). Well, that wasn't my intent. The resulting change (read quick-fix) then didn't fit with the conflict that I had envisioned. I shouldn't have posted the previous version of chapter nine; I should have waited until I wrote this corrected version. I was just so excited she'd finished the edit that I added it, wanting to move on with the storyline. My characters deserve better than that, and my readers especially do. It was sub-par and that is unacceptable to me, I can't leave it that way.

I apologize to my readers for the previous posting of chapter nine, it shouldn't have ever happened. I won't make the same mistake again; that's a promise. Thank you for your patience with me. I hope you'll continue to read about the ongoing struggles of Traviata and Carth and their growing circle of friends.

Rochelle

**Chapter Nine: Beginnings and Endings**

"_Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."_

**- Albert Einstein**

The tall, thin, graying Admiral entered the bridge of his massive ship. He noted the crewmen and officers busy at their posts, or at least pretending to be. They had all been working without much sleep since the blockade of Taris, and he didn't know how any of them were continuing to perform their duties at their usual excellent level. It was madness to push a crew this hard, but it wasn't his decision to make; at least not at the moment.

His gaze went to a nearby viewport and the planet below them before turning his attention to the man standing at the helm of the bridge gazing out onto the planet below. The Admiral had to go tell him news that would make him extremely unhappy, and you never knew how it would go when you had to tell a Sith Master bad news.

Saul Karath stared at the man; he was immense at two meters tall, his physique muscular and obvious in his skin tight clothes. Darth Malak's long red cape flowed, spilling onto the deck and adding to his intimidating appearance. Karath knew he'd copied that from Revan, who'd returned as a Sith Master wearing similar clothing that seemed ripe with malevolence. It wasn't the robes, as menacing as they were, but Revan's face mask that really intimidated. Saul had wondered why Revan wore the mask. Though most assumed it was to hide an injury, it was rumored to hold dark power. It definitely added to the creep factor, which neither of them really needed with their skills and penchant for destruction.

Malak had returned with Revan from the Unknown Regions, but had left behind his lower jaw in some horrific encounter no one knew the full details on. When they'd left for unknown space pursing the Mandalorians, Malak had black hair and a jaw. Revan and Malak had both returned as very different beings

But Malak's voice was what affected Karath the most. The artificial jaw, reflecting the bluish-gray skin and tattoos of Malak, caused him to sound as villainous as Karath knew him to be.

"Admiral?" the communications officer inquired.

Karath turned to the officer standing just to his right. "What is it, Nellan?"

"We just got that update you wanted on the whereabouts of Bastilla. Still no sign of her sir," the officer reported. "She continues to elude our forces."

"Carry on, Nellan. Notify me immediately if there is any change," Karath ordered.

"Acknowledged, sir," Nellan replied.

With that Saul straightened his tunic and began the trek to give Darth Malak the news.

The Admiral came to stand just behind the dark lord, hesitant to speak.

"What is it Admiral?" Malak asked in his deep mechanical voice without diverting his attention from the viewport.

"I have the latest update on the search for Bastilla: still no word of her location," Saul's voice wavering a bit at the last.

"This search is taking too long, Admiral. I cannot risk her escaping Taris. Destroy the entire planet," Malak ordered, his voice, as always, deep, husky, cold, and filled with venom.

"The entire planet? There are billions of innocents on the planet, as well as our own troops," Saul blurted out.

The Dark Sith lord turned, his cape swirling as he did. "You dare to question my orders? Are you so foolish Admiral?"

Saul swallowed hard, his heart beating fast as he struggled to get air past the invisible vise around his throat.

"No, no, my Lord Malak," Saul said when he was abruptly able to breath again. He took several steps back as if the added distance would do anything to save him if the Dark Lord turned his full wrath upon him.

"What I meant was that it will take several hours for us to position the fleet for such a massive bombardment," Saul back-peddled.

"Then I suggest you begin immediately, Admiral," Malak said, his deep voice rippling with dark menace.

"Yes, my Lord Malak," Saul said, giving a slight bow, backing away from the Sith Master.

Darth Malak returned to his vigil, using all his senses to reach out and discover Bastilla's location.

He'd wanted to take her alive, but dead would have to do unless he found her before the assault on Taris.

Traviata padded out of the back bedroom, feeling more human after some rest. They had made it out of the Sith base in one piece and with the necessary security codes, but they had met heavy resistance, taking a toll on the entire group. Exhaustion prompted all to collapse on their return to the apartment, Traviata opting for a much needed shower first.

Traviata came in to the living room to find Carth lying across the couch, one foot on the floor, eyes closed, the holonet on the large screen on one of the planet's many news stations. No one else appeared to be around. Traviata picked up the controller for the device, not wanting his sleep disturbed. Leave it to him to crash on the couch where he could keep watch over them. She smiled softly, clicking off the talking heads.

"Don't do that," Carth said, his eyes still closed. "I'm watching it."

"Really? You have some powerful eyes there Commander, that let you see through your lids," she replied, turning it back on and setting the controller down. "Did you get _any_ sleep?" Traviata asked, crossing the room to stand in front of him.

"As much as I needed," Carth said, stretching and fighting back a yawn. "I'm conditioned for it at this point, comes with the job.

"How about you? You all rested and feeling better?" the Commander asked, his eyes still closed, crossing his arms over his stomach.

"Yeah, I'm great, ready for whatever's next," she replied enthusiastically. She thought she noticed his face tighten slightly in response.

"Good," was all he said in response.

"Where is everyone? The place seems empty," Traviata noted; looking around the room, feeling uneasy. It was too quiet and she'd noticed the vacant rooms as she'd passed by.

"Bastilla is waiting outside, watching for Canderous. I told him to come to the courtyard across from here when I contacted him. Bastilla will bring him up when he shows. Mission and Zalbaar are up on the roof," Carth finished sleepily, his eyes now open and watching her.

"You should get some rest while you can," Traviata suggested.

"I want to have a conversation with you, a personal one," Carth explained, his eyes watching her intently. "There's something I really need you to understand."

"Of course," Traviata agreed soberly, sitting on the edge of the coffee table near his head. She leaned her forearms on her legs. "What's this about?"

Carth came to his feet in an instant and grabbed her by the arm. Moving swiftly behind her he pinned one arm behind her back, his other arm reaching around the front of her he held her tightly to him, immobilizing her.

"This is about getting through to you – it's about what can happen when you go rogue and end up alone in enemy territory. It usually doesn't end in a massive celebration later with your team, like you experienced at the Academy-" he said tightening his grip as she tried to free herself.

"Are you crazy? What are you doing? Let me go," Traviata demanded, cutting in.

"I assure you I'm perfectly sane. What I'm doing is trying to save your life – you can't keep being so reckless; it'll catch up with you one day. What happens when you're pinned, helpless, lost your weapon, and have no backup? You're deep in enemy territory, no communication and you're discovered by someone other than a sweet kid like Mission? No one knows where you are..." he murmured in her ear, further increasing his hold against her struggles.

"Frakin' let me go!" she screamed, her frustration building, her breath coming hard as her anger rose.

"Make me," he taunted, pulling her arm back further. He knew it hurt; he'd been in the same position more times than he cared to remember, but it wouldn't injure her.

"If you insist," Traviata ground out. She head butted him, causing him to lose enough of his grip that it allowed her to send her right elbow to his stomach.

Carth stifled a painful grunt at the action and using his leg, knocked her feet out from under her, bringing her to the floor, face down. He straddled her, holding both her arms to the ground.

"Now you're completely helpless," he said bending over to her ear.

Traviata struggled to turn her red face to the side. "Let me go - Carth! I mean it -"

"You don't give the orders. You're my prisoner - I can do whatever I want – no help is coming, you're completely alone..." he said darkly.

Traviata struggled fiercely under him, trying to free herself.

"The Sith base- that was stupid, careless, and unnecessary. What if there's no one to come back after you next time and save you?" Carth asked.

"Fine, you made your point. Let me up."

"Let you up? Humph. Still trying to give orders?" He shifted her arms behind her back once again.

"Ouch, no. Alright? Will you just stop?"

"No, but better, you're at least asking. Your enemy will not show you mercy," he replied loosening his grip slightly.

"Ok, I get it. Alright? Now will you let me up? Please?" she nearly choked on the please, but just wanted the humiliation over with.

"Start following orders and procedure. There are good reasons and long tested principles behind military protocol. I don't want to see you become another dead hero," he said soberly.

"Fine, got it, you made your frakin' point," she bit out, her temper rising again.

"I hope so, for both our sakes," Carth let go a long breath. "I care a great deal for you Viata. I don't want anything to happen to you," he released her arms abruptly, coming speedily to his feet. She ignored his outstretched hand as she jumped up.

Silence.

They stood staring at each other for a moment. Carth reached over to brush her hair off her face, but she smacked his hand away. "Don't touch me ever again, you bully."

She would be mad for a while, he'd expected that. If it got through to her, it was worth it as far as he was concerned. His feelings for her made things much more complex than he liked. If he could only treat her like any other soldier, things would be so much easier.

That's why there are regs about this kind of thing, Onasi, he reminded himself. Relationships like this, especially in the field, were bad news for all involved more often than not.

When they got back to Fleet, he'd take care of making sure she wasn't under his command. He could have her assigned under any command he wanted, Paul would do it for him. He mentally ticked off the list of his fellow Commanders, wondering who he felt the best about reassigning her to. None came easily to mind. The thought of sending her off, far away from him, gave him a hollow feeling. No easy answers to this one. He could figure out where he'd get her deployed to later, had to be someplace safe. Of course she'd hate that. Damn, how the frak did I get myself in this mess, he wondered silently, running an agitated hand through his hair.

"I'm going down to wait for Canderous so Bastilla can come up," Carth informed her, retrieving his blasters from the nearby table.

"You had this little - demonstration plotted from the beginning, before I even entered the room," she said as it occurred to her. "I'll bet you sent Mission and Zalbaar up on the roof, too."

"That would be a safe bet," Carth agreed, a hint of self satisfaction in his eyes that his plan had worked out so well.

"You were just literally lying in wait for me," she stammered, the realization hitting her full force.

He walked swiftly to the door. "Just like our enemies do. Remember what I said," he warned, pausing at the door, his eyes holding hers for a moment before sliding on his shades. "Oh and there's stimcaf in the kitchen," he tossed over his shoulder and was gone.

She grabbed a nearby pillow and sent it flying at the door, wishing desperately it was something heavy and very breakable. I hate him, the overbearing frakin bastard. Who does he think he is?! she fumed inwardly. She stomped over to the nearby kitchen, forcibly closing cabinet doors and drawers. She wasn't sure what she was looking for; she was just pissed and it felt good to slam things.

Several minutes later as her anger began to subside, she thought of what he'd said. On many levels he was right, she had to admit. She just wished she could get him to understand what it was like to feel the sensations she had. The reason she'd disobeyed orders each time was to do something she knew, somehow, was what she needed to do for everything and everyone to be okay. It sounded crazy even to her.

Wait, he said he cared a great deal for me; Traviata absorbed the words for the first time.

Her anger before hadn't allowed her to focus on those words and what that meant to her. She knew she cared for him, but never thought he'd return her feelings. Their kiss had made her hope he felt something for her, but she wasn't sure until now.

That knowledge warmed her, though her anger with him was still there too. This was going to be complicated.

Zalbaar and Mission came bounding into the flat, followed by Bastilla, jerking Traviata from her thoughts.

"Hey, Traviata. What's wrong with you? You don't look well," Mission pointed out "Didn't get enough rest?"

"I'm fine," Traviata replied, sipping on the stimcaf she'd absentmindedly made herself when she'd tired of abusing the kitchen. The soldier decided she needed a walk; she'd go see Forn and say goodbye since they'd hopefully be leaving very soon. Traviata had become attached to the kind doctor and admired him for his charitable work and his bravery in helping the Republic forces.

"Your face is all flushed. Are you sick?" Mission quizzed.

"I'm fine, Mission, will you just give it a rest?" Traviata said sharper than she'd intended.

"Sorry, just asking. I guess Carth ended up getting more sleep than you; he's not cranky like some people," Mission quipped.

Traviata felt Bastilla's eyes on her and she returned her gaze, ready for a fight. "What is it, Bastilla?"

"Nothing," she paused, her eyes shifting away. "I think I'll go meditate; there is much to contemplate," Bastilla said distractedly.

"You do that. I'm going to Forn's," Traviata replied.

With that, Traviata deposited her dish in the sink noisily and hiked to the entry, only to have Carth and Canderous come bursting through the door.

"I think we'll clear the area," Mission supplied, eyeing Canderous warily. "I've seen him around the cantinas, he's trouble."

"Well, hello again," Canderous said, his eyes taking in all of Traviata.

"Hey, Canderous," Traviata turned to Carth. "I'm going to go say goodbye to Forn, thank him for all he's done for us. You don't need me for this do you?"

"Yeah, I do as a matter of fact. I wanted to see Forn too anyway, we'll go together when we're finished here," Carth countered, not happy with the idea of her running around the streets of Taris in her current state of mind.

Traviata gave Carth a quick nod, not meeting his eyes. "Fine," she said blandly.

"I heard all about the Sith base _terrorist_ attack, that's what they're calling it anyway. You know it was damn ugly when the _Sith_ classify it as an act of terror. They're also saying that at least ten well armed assailants perpetrated the crime," Canderous paused. "I just have to know one thing. Which one of you took the head off that Sith bastard?" Canderous asked, his eyes scanning the pair, coming to rest on Traviata. "Please tell me it was you."

"It was, I can tell by the way Fleet just looked at you. What a woman; you may actually be worthy of me," Canderous continued, his eyes ardently admiring Traviata.

"You should stop now, while you still can. I gave you fair warning before," Carth reminded him. He hated the way the Mandalorian was looking at Traviata and his close proximity to her. This guy just wasn't going to let up. Carth had wanted her there for the planning of their escape, if Canderous could focus for ten seconds with her in the room. Maybe if she didn't talk too much, or play the Mandalorian's game, he'd lose interest. _Hopefully..._

"Canderous, just so you know, he's a bully and a brute and personally I really want to escape Taris. Since you're our ticket outta' here, I suggest you keep your mind on our ride and off me," Traviata put in, her gaze on Canderous.

Frak, Carth cursed to himself. He was going to have to stop this now, she wasn't going to let up knowing her and it would only egg him on.

"Oh darlin' my mind is on _our_ ride, believe me," Canderous replied, twisting her words, his eyes openly ogling her. "What a ride that would be."

"I'm flattered but not interested," Traviata informed him.

"I accept that challenge," Canderous returned with a glint in his eyes.

So much for hope, Carth thought. Time to end this.

"Traviata, you really need to stay out of this," Carth snapped, his face like granite. The Mandalorian would never stop pursuing her now. "In fact why don't you go down to Forn's and wait for me there." Okay, so it made him sound like an idiot. The fact was that getting her out of there was the most important thing to him at that moment, for reasons more than needing to plan their escape and save their skins. The Mandalorian had infuriated him to the point where now he couldn't focus either. Damn it, once again he thought of the added complications of his feelings for this woman.

"What the frak? That's what I-" Traviata's gaze shot to find Carth's eyes flashing a warning. "Fine, that's where I'll be," she added, storming out of the apartment, swearing under her breath the entire time. The sound of Canderous' raucous laughter followed her out the door.

Canderous turned his attention to Carth, "Tamp down your power core, Fleet. Let's get off this rock first; there'll be plenty of time to fight over her later."

Carth crossed his arms, a muscle twitched in his jaw; there was no doubt about it. He was angry, no not just angry. Jealous. He'd love to kick this guy's ass over his attention to Traviata and then shoot him in the head for being Mandalorian. It would have to wait though, the fantasy would have to do, for now. "What's the plan?"

The Mandalorian laid out his elaborate plan of having him and Traviata coming on to work for Davik, just to get on his compound. Then they'd appropriate the Ebon Hawk and leave, picking up the rest of their group along the way.

Canderous pulled out a datapad, punching at it. "This is where you can meet me tomorrow morning. It'll give me a chance to finish laying the ground work."

Carth nodded, reading the information on his screen. This Davik was no small time crook by the looks of it; his estate was vast and included a massive hangar bay. "Wow, this guy isn't a Hutt?"

"No, but almost as bad," Canderous replied.

"Okay, we'll…" Carth paused, listening, thinking he heard something. "We'll meet you," he stopped again, turning his head, straining to make out what he heard.

"Did you hear that?" Carth asked, not waiting for a response he walked to the window.

There were at least twenty Sith transport ships taking off from nearby. He looked to the street to see troopers scurrying to the base.

"What is _that?_" Canderous asked soberly, following him.

"Not a good sign," Carth commented. This was a withdrawal of troops, a fast one. Not planned by the looks of it, but something recently ordered. He felt a chill run up his spine.

"Agreed," Canderous said over Carth's shoulder.

Canderous checked his datapad, "Communications are out."

Carth scowled, "They're going to attack and they've sent out an evacuation order. It's the only explanation for it."

"I wonder how long we have," Canderous thought out loud.

"If we're lucky, a few hours, could be less though," Carth mentally calculated the time it would take to prep a bird for the air. "Change of plans, we leave now and just steal the ship outright. Hopefully, your boss has noticed all this activity and has already started pre-flight. Do you think we can take him in a straight out fight?"

"Yeah, with all of us, the Jedi should be a help. Calo Nord will be at his side; that'll make it more difficult," Canderous answered.

"Calo Nord is here?" Carth asked startled. Nord was an infamous bounty hunter, known to Carth because of the number of high ranking Republic Officers he'd assassinated. "Well, that's just a bonus if I get to kill that scum."

"We may find common ground yet, Fleet, besides the woman I mean. Yeah, he's an annoying little whelp hound. He's a tough bastard though, and he'll be well armed," Canderous explained.

The sound of a far off explosion wiped away any question in Carth's mind. "This is the beginning. They'll target strategic areas first. They've taken out communications already. We don't have much time," Carth paused, a plan formulating in his mind. "You take Bastilla and the others to Davik's, I'll meet you there."

"You going after your girl?" Canderous asked.

Carth didn't hesitate, "Yeah, I am."

"We'll wait as long as we can," Canderous informed him.

Carth nodded, checking his weapons.

Bastilla came running out of her room. "It's Malak," she said, her voice distracted. "He's frustrated since he can't locate me; he's going to destroy Taris in the hopes I'll be killed."

"Yeah, we figured that out," Carth said on his way to the door. "You're all going with Canderous, I'm going after Traviata."

"Where is she?" Bastilla asked.

"You can't tell? She's at Forn's," Carth informed her half way out the door. "It's the opposite direction."

"I was meditating Commander," she replied aloofly. "Why did she go there?" Bastilla's wondered. "Was she hurt?"

"No, wanted to say goodbye. Since she met him, she's really been attached to the old guy for some reason," Carth said, not waiting for a reply.

The Commander made his way down the frantic street filled with people rushing and crying children; others just stood in a daze. Several people passed him, pushing carts filled with obvious stolen goods; the looting had started. He knew what would happen, had seen it with his own eyes on countless planets at various stages over the years. Not to mention his experience on Telos IV.

It would be all out chaos soon, when the bombs really started to fall. There had been several more explosions, all distant from their location. He knew it would intensify; it was only a matter of time before fire from the sky began raining on them.

His heart was racing as he picked up his pace to a full run. It wasn't going to happen again; he wasn't going to lose Traviata. The Commander was relieved as the medical center came into view. He ran into the facility, his eyes searching frantically for Traviata. Then he spied her, in the back of the building with Forn where the Republic soldiers were. She was helping him remove one of two soldiers left in the bacta tanks to critical transport gurneys. Carth stood mesmerized at the scene before him, forgetting momentarily why he'd rushed there. The two were oblivious to his arrival, so involved in their task and their conversation.

"Gently, now. Yes, that's it. Very good my dear girl," Forn's soft voice could barely be heard over all the noise.

"Is he going to be okay in that contraption?" Traviata asked, covering the soldier with a sheet, taking great care.

"For a short time he should be stable long enough for me to get him to the undercity in the clinic I have set up there. As I said before, most will die, but I will not allow them to suffer," the doctor said with a tsk, tsk.

"Thank you for the care you've given them. Whether they make it or not, they don't deserve to be abandoned here. They gave their lives protecting the Republic," she replied, running a hand along the one bacta tank still containing a soldier.

"My dear, have I told you how happy I am you came back to see me. You know I wasn't sure you would, with…" he paused, scratching his gray hair. "Well with everything you have going on," he said pushing up his glasses.

"I wanted to say goodbye, and, well, now I'm glad I did so that I could help you with this," Traviata said soberly. When she'd arrived he'd been struggling by himself, trying to remove the soldiers to safety. "I think you should be okay underground. It's good you already had the new place set up there." It all depended on how intense the attack became; his chances were much better though in the undercity.

"My child, now don't you worry, I will die a happy man just getting to see you like this, helping me. Your kindness and compassion, well, it reminds me of times past, much better times indeed," he paused, tsking again. "I'm just a sentimental old fool I guess."

"Nonsense, this is my duty and I wouldn't knowingly leave you here to struggle with this alone. Anyone would do this, Forn. Besides, these are my fellow Republic soldiers, my shipmates, and I owe it to them. Are you ready to get our last patient?" Traviata asked, her eyes drifting to Carth's, suddenly realizing they were not alone. Something electric passed between them, they stared at each other for a moment and then they rushed to each other, Traviata finding herself caught up in a crushing hug.

"I got here as fast as I could once I realized what was going on," he whispered into her hair. "I was so worried. I was afraid I'd be too late," he said, his hands now cradling her head, his mouth crushing hers in a hard quick kiss.

When they broke away, Carth wrapped an arm around her, pulling her against him. "I'm fine; I could feel we were in danger. I wanted to warn you, the comlink was out, but I couldn't leave our friend, or our shipmates, like this," she explained, casting him a sideways glance.

He removed his arm, standing in front of her so that he could look in her eyes. "Traviata, the timing isn't great, but I want you to know something. I haven't felt like this for a very long time. The way I feel about you-" Carth trailed off. Watching her with Forn had brought to life something in him that had been dead for a very long time. Deepening his feelings he'd already had for her.

"Carth, I feel the same way," Traviata declared. "Even though you're a bullying brute," she reproved mildly.

Carth rocked back on his heels, a smile on his face. "If it has the lasting impression that I wanted, and I'm hoping it will, then I'm okay with that description," he finished his smile broadening.

The sound of a very nearby explosion shook the room, reminding the two of their situation.

The pair's gaze intensified, "We'll have to continue this later," Carth said. Traviata nodded her response and they both bolted over to the last soldier and began extricating him.

"Where are we going with these guys?" Carth asked as they worked busily, their hands moving rapidly. He didn't want to just abandon them, but he wasn't sacrificing the living for those who were as good as dead anyway.

"Just to the turbolift my dear boy and you came back too, I'm so pleased. Yes, yes, such a happy day for me. And you're both falling in love, though you don't really know it yet. New love is not unlike It's so beautiful. Brings this old heart happiness that's seen so much misery. Yes, all in all a good day," Forn piped in from where he'd been watching the couple.

Carth and Traviata were on either side of the extricated soldier now and held each others eyes for a moment before lifting him onto the last gurney. Another large explosion caused dust to fall as the foundation rattled to its core.

"We need to go. Can you get that one?" Carth directed Traviata, pointing to the first soldier on the gurney.

"Got him," Traviata answered.

"Okay, follow me and stay together," Carth instructed, pushing the stretcher to the turbolift.

The bombardment had increased, as Carth knew it would, making it difficult to maneuver the soldiers in the panicked masses. They made it though, and had Forn and the last soldiers on the lift in mere minutes.

"Goodbye, you two. You may have some dark days ahead," Forn said, a shadow crossing his face. "Yes, yes, there's no doubt, certainly you will. Hold on to each other tightly though or you both will be lost. Remember who you are and your love and you will make it through fine, I'm sure. You two will conquer the evil that threatens to overtake us all, if you just hold on to what is real and that is the love the two of you have. May the Force be with you," he finished, with a wave of his hand the door shut speedily.

Carth and Traviata stood speechless for a moment, both unsettled by the doctor's words.

"Did he-" Traviata started, unsure of what she saw.

"Use the Force to shut the door? I think so," Carth finished, his brow furrowed.

"Did it seem like he-" Carth started, trying to make sense of what the doctor said, scratching his jaw.

"Knew the future?" Traviata completed, nodding her head vacantly, meeting Carth's troubled eyes. "At first I was thinking fortune teller, but now I'm thinking-"

"I knew there was something off about him; I always thought he knew way more than he was telling us. He's some sort of frakin' Jedi. Damn it!" Carth paused, hitting the turbolift door, his mood now changed.

"He still helped us and the crew of the Endar Spire," Traviata offered.

"Maybe, but I wanted to ask him about what he and Bastilla discussed. There's something going on that only the two of them know. Now I know why she wanted to chat him up. Damn,I certainly can't take Bastilla's word for anything."

Traviata let go a breath, "I wonder sometimes if you're capable of trusting anyone."

"Stop wondering, the answer's no," Carth registered the hurt that flashed briefly in Traviata's eyes. He ran a finger across her cheek, "Hey, I want to trust you, and I'm starting to. Give me a little time to work on it."

A new wave of bombs exploding around them quickly moved the pair to action. Carth grabbed Traviata's hand, and they bolted toward Davik's estate.


	11. Chapter 10 - The Escape

**A/N: **Thank you for reading my story and enormous thanks for your comments as well. If you've been following this story please take note that I updated chapter nine. I was not happy with my work in that chapter; it was rushed and unacceptable to me to leave it that way. I've attached a note of explanation to chapter nine. My most humble and sincere apologies for my original posting of chapter nine, it shouldn't have happened. I won't make the same mistake again, that's a promise.

There is only one major scene change and if you don't want to have to go back and re-read it, here is a quick synopsis:

Carth takes drastic action trying to get through to the stubborn Traviata:

Traviata and Carth have a physical confrontation in the apartment on Taris. The Commander wants to teach Traviata about what can happen when you disobey orders, leave your unit, and go off alone in enemy territory. He's worried she'll become a dead hero, and he realizes how much he's come to care for her. Physically subduing her, Carth is seemingly successful in proving that everyone needs backup. Traviata is of course irritated and humiliated by the display, but seems to have learned a valuable lesson when it's over. Carth reveals that he's come to care for her a great deal and doesn't want her hurt, which in the end makes Traviata happy.

Rochelle

**Chapter Ten**

**The Escape**

"_For it was not into my ear you whispered, but into my heart. It was not my lips you kissed, but my soul."_

**- Judy****Garland**

It was enormous, it was ostentatious, it was well fortified, and it was wide open with the sounds of an intense battle emanating from within. Carth and Traviata had made it to Davik's estate, barely in one piece. Having to dodge falling buildings and traverse piles of rubble along the way. The planet didn't have long, it might even be as bad as Telos IV by the time it was over, Carth thought, his eyes taking in the devastation around them.

The pair looked at each other and then to the open doorway.

"He's late. Where is Canderous?" Carth asked frowning, checking his weapons before entering the main back entry.

"Already been here," Traviata said as she motioned to blaster burn marks that could only have come from Canderous' weapon. She followed Carth, her weapon ready in her hand.

"So here's what we're going to do," Carth said, ducking under a fallen beam, stepping over a pile of mortar. He turned to help Traviata through before continuing.

"We make our way to the hangar, that's where Canderous would have headed," he said.

"Then find cover and shoot the bad guys, find the ship and get the hell outta' here?" Traviata suggested, the bombing outside shaking the building causing pieces to break off and fall.

"Yeah, something like that. Listen I want you to be _cautious_; Calo Nord has killed lots of very experienced Republic soldiers," Carth said, hurriedly continuing his trek. "You've never faced anyone like him before," Carth warned.

Well, he assumed she hadn't, though she'd been out on some missions while working in Intelligence. The truth was that he didn't really know for certain; they'd never really talked about her time in intelligence. She only referred to all her training, never mentioning any practical experience.

"That may be, but he's never faced the likes of us before either. Maybe we can make it so he doesn't have a chance to kill any more Republic officers," Traviata replied.

"Put that out of your head. He's too much for you. You've hardly had any real experience fighting in the field like this, at least in Fleet," Carth reminded her. "Speaking of that, did you go out on many missions while you were in the Intelligence branch?" Carth added, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"Some, but they were mostly just info grabs and always in groups. Most of the action I saw was in training. I was actually just getting ready to start solo missions when I was transferred to Fleet," Traviata explained.

Carth nodded, ducking under a fallen girder. "Stay close to me- no, stay behind cover."

"Fine," Traviata answered, her body tensing as they approached the hangar, the sounds of explosions, different from the sounds of the bombing, rocking the hangar bay.

"Frag grenades," Carth answered her questioning look as they paused at the hangar bay door. "Calo has a reputation for using tremendous fire power. He'd use a grenade to kill a womp rat."

Traviata considered his words. "Apparently it works for him, given what you've told me."

Carth grimaced, "Yes it does, too well."

The ceiling behind them collapsed as the missile bombardment intensified, forcing them to run into the hangar. They dove for cover, amidst a spray of blaster fire aimed in their direction.

Traviata eased her way up to take a quick look, having to crouch down at the intense response that evoked.

"Canderous is definitely here," Traviata quipped, laying on her back, her breath coming fast.

"Yeah, they have us pinned down pretty good. Calo's straight ahead and there's another just north of him with a repeating blaster," Carth supplied.

"How could you tell? I couldn't see anything," Traviata retorted. She hadn't been able to make out where anyone was.

"Years of experience is all," Carth cast her a sideways glance. "We've got to move. The ship's entrance is north. That's the direction we head. Our goal is to get on the ship, not kill these guys. Got it?"

"Affirmative," Traviata said, readying herself to move.

"Come on," Carth yelled, firing both his blasters in the direction of Nord. A spray of ammunition followed him, causing him to stop behind a huge chunk of fallen ceiling, Traviata right behind him.

"Okay, we're almost there. I noticed Canderous and the others across from us, they've been keeping the other one busy near the ship's gang plank. I'm assuming that's Davik," Carth explained. "We need to help Canderous finish him off, then we can board."

"Affirmative," Traviata replied, checking her weapon.

"Damn, you sound like a real soldier," Carth said, his eyes meeting hers for a moment.

A grenade landed beside them before she could answer, the pair running and firing as they joined the others.

"About damn time, Fleet," Canderous reproved. "This building is starting to come down around us."

"What the hell kind of armor are these guys frakin' wearing?" Carth spat, unloading his blasters into the one blocking their entry. Nothing seemed to be affecting them.

"That's Davik, he has special reinforced armor , not as impressive as Nord's though. His is one of a kind, specially made and it will withstand a lot," Canderous replied.

"A lot? It can withstand hell apparently," Traviata put in, her smoking weapon overheating, making a whirring sound.

"Davik's won't withstand all of us firing at the same time," Canderous supplied. "The wookie's been holding of Calo, Bastilla's been, well, doing whatever it is she does. The kid's just been a pain in the ass."

"Zalbaar can continue to keep Calo busy while we finish off Davik," Carth said. "Mission was a pain in the ass to you? Good job, kid," Carth said approvingly.

"I thought you fixed this thing, Carth," Traviata said, her gaze narrowed, scrutinizing the damage, banging the weapon on the side of her hand.

Carth fished out a grenade and threw it to Mission who caught it deftly, "Here kid, on my order, toss it at Davik. If you miss and hit the Mandalorian, don't worry about it," Carth said matter of factly.

Traviata tried banging the blaster on the ground.

"If Fleet fixed it, you're better off without it," Canderous said, retrieving a pistol from his leg strap, he held it out to Traviata.

Carth rolled his eyes, snatching the broken pistol from Traviata's hand. "It's fried because you don't give it time to recharge and you hold the trigger too long. Torturing it won't make it work any faster," Carth instructed, placing his second pistol in her hand.

"Woman, I've got a real weapon for you when you need it," Canderous said, replacing his weapon on his leg, giving her a crooked smile.

Traviata shot Canderous an angry look. Her gaze drifted to Carth, feeling his eyes on her.

"I'm good, Canderous. Thanks," Traviata responded, fixing her eyes straight ahead at their target.

"Now," Carth directed. Turning their attention to Davik, the entire group fired. The crime lord staggered back at their barrage, and Bastilla jumped to him, slicing through him with her lightsaber.

"Seriously? Why didn't the ice queen do that to begin with?" Mission said with exasperation.

"Doesn't work like that kid; his shields made him immune to her powers and her saber. We had to get through those first," Canderous explained.

"Hey, don't call me kid. It's Mission," she shot back.

Calo Nord moved closer, continuing to fire on the group. Bastilla used her lightsaber to repel the onslaught, moving closer to the ship. "Commander, now would be a good time to make our exit."

"Yeah, I need to get everyone on before he cuts us off," Carth informed them, his eyes scanning the area. "Kid, you're first. Zalbaar go with her, we'll cover you."

"Okay, Carth. Don't have to tell me twice," Mission replied.

Canderous looked from Mission and then to Carth and snorted. "Oh, but he can call you kid," he muttered under his breath.

"Okay, they're in. Our turn," Carth said, taking Traviata's hand.

They made it half way to the Ebon Hawk when Calo threw several grenades in their path, scattering the remaining group to the ground with the force of the impact. Traviata landed a mere meter from Calo, Bastilla close beside her. Carth and Canderous got thrown closer to the ship.

"Well Canderous, quite a diverse group of friends you have here. _Very_ interesting choice of companions," Calo said smugly.

Bastilla sat up, inching back from the man, stopping beside Traviata.

"Oh just shut up and die, you cowardly bastard," Canderous said, raising his weapon.

"You're the one that's going to die and then-" Calo screamed out as the ceiling crumbled on top of him, burying him in a pile of rubble. The concussive sound of explosions made it hard to hear the rest of his words.

With a look of complete disappointment, Canderous stared at where Calo had been standing.

"Get to the ship and make sure she's ready," Carth shouted to him, on his way to Traviata.

Canderous nodded, casting one more regret filled looked at the ruins covering Calo and ran onto the Ebon Hawk.

Carth helped Traviata to her feet. "You okay?" he asked, shielding their heads with his arm from the falling bits of ceiling still collapsing.

"I'm fine, Commander. Thank you for asking," Bastilla said dryly, rising from the ground.

Carth ignored her comments, his eyes on Traviata. "Yeah, I'm good thanks," Traviata replied.

The trio ran to the Ebon Hawk, what was left of the building falling around them as they attempted to board, side stepping a body tumbling down the ramp.

"Taking out the trash," Canderous said, before disappearing back inside the vessel.

Carth bolted for the cockpit, his focus was on getting the ship airborne. He settled into the pilot's seat, his gaze scanning the myriad of blinking lights, flashing displays, and monitors. His hands began flying over the controls, the Hawk lifting off the ground with a jolt, raising the gang plank as they gained elevation. He increased the speed, dodging falling missiles; the sound of tousled equipment and crew followed, along with the agitated roaring of a wookie.

"She's fast and responsive. The shields are holding so far too," Carth said with a hint of appreciation in his voice.

"You may wish to warn us, Commander, the next time you decide to test the ship's capabilities," Bastilla put in.

"Consider this your warning for the duration of the flight, Bastilla. Why don't you go make sure Mission's okay, and you guys get yourselves secure in the main hold. We're not out of this yet. We still have to pass this blockade," Carth instructed.

"Our course is to Dantooine, correct Commander?" Bastilla queried, hesitating at the nav computer.

"That's right, Bastilla. As soon as we clear the blockade we'll drop into hyperspace," Carth replied. He was planning on dropping off the Jedi and getting him and Traviata back to Fleet as soon as possible. The Commander also had some questions for the Jedi Council about this entire mission, not that he expected any real answers.

Bastilla gave a slight nod and daintily keyed in the destination in the navigation computer. "I have input the destination, it is calculating the route," Bastilla informed the Commander, turned on her heel and made a quick exit without another word, leaving the three in the cockpit.

"Even with the codes, considering the attack, it may be difficult to get through," Canderous commented, sitting in the co-pilots seat. "I've hardly been around the Jedi witch at all and I want to kill her. I can't imagine the Sith are going to let any ships slip through in their search for her."

Carth looked over at him, realizing for the first time he was sitting there. If someone had told him he'd be flying a bird one day with a Mandalorian in the second chair, he'd have told them they were space happy.

"You want to kill everyone Canderous," Carth paused. "You're right though, they aren't going to let us just slide by, not while they're looking for Bastilla. The code may get us past the big birds, but they'll have tie fighters patrolling the area. We can expect resistance, we'll need to man the turrets."

Carth calculated he'd need at least two people manning the laser canons, but which two was his quandary.

"I'll go," Traviata said, grabbing a headset hanging on the wall in cargo netting.

"You know how to operate a spaceship turret?" Carth asked.

"Umm no, but I hadn't used a double bladed sword before either, and look how well that worked out," Traviata retorted.

Canderous chuckled, "Not too well for the Sith."

"Sith fleet accepted the codes, but we're not out yet. Will you do a systems check on the hyperdrive, Canderous?" Carth asked frowning, his patience was coming to a fast end with the Mandalorian.

The images of that fight replayed in Carth's mind; she'd fought with the skill of an experienced swordsman. You didn't just pick up a double bladed sword and wield it like an expert, especially a Kinrath sword. It's weight and balance alone took considerable time to adapt to. Maybe he was being a fool, beginning to trust her. His suspicions of Traviata fought to return and then he remembered seeing her helping Forn with the soldiers, and her struggle and confusion over whatever the Force was doing to her. Whatever was going on, it wasn't Traviata's doing. It had something to do with Bastilla and the Jedi Council.

"Hopefully it will work out as well this time, Traviata," Carth responded, risking a quick glance back at her, his tone and eyes softening momentarily.

"Canderous," Carth paused, loathing to ask what he was about to. "Will you man the turrets with Traviata, and go over the system with her? Just the basics."

"Why of course, Fleet," Canderous agreed cheerfully. "I'd be happy to give Vee the full benefit of my vast experience," he continued, joining her, picking up his own headset.

I'm going to kick his barbaric Mandalorian ass the first opportunity I get when this is over, Carth promised himself, taking what comfort he could from the idea. He looked over feeling a quick squeeze on his arm, to find Traviata just behind him.

"It'll be fine, don't worry. Look how well I handle a blaster, it can't be that different," Traviata said before moving hastily for the turrets, intending to bolster his confidence in her abilities.

Carth thought of the blaster she continually overheated, trying to fix it by banging on it. "Remember to let up on the trigger periodically, it doesn't help to be blaster happy, and for Sith's sake don't beat the control panel if the canon overheats."

Moments later Traviata was seated in the dorsal turret, her eyes adjusting to the dimly lit targeting screen.

"You settled in?" Carth's voice came over her headset. He'd listened to the brief how-to that Canderous had given her. He had to admit, the man knew weapons.

"Acknowledged," Traviata replied, her eyes widening as they passed between two huge Sith ships.

"If they follow a standard attack formation they'll come at us in groups of six," Carth supplied, his eyes busily scanning the monitors, the proximity alarm sounding as the ship shuddered under the loud bang on the hull.

"We've got company. I count six, I'll try to out maneuver them, I'll engage the hyperdrive as soon as I think it's safe," Carth informed them.

"This is gonna be fun," Canderous said excitedly, his eyes finding his first target.

The ship shook again as the fighters buzzed like angry insects around them assaulting the vessel. Carth increased the speed. "Let's see what you've got girl," he said quietly.

Traviata found the controls to be sluggish at first, but once she got accustomed to it she was able to find her targets.

"That's two," Traviata's voice came over the speaker on the control panel, but was muffled by the overheat warning chirps coming from the console resounding over the headsets. "Sorry," she offered quickly,making a face,silencing the angry sound.

Carth grimaced at the noise, momentarily lowering the volume, weaving around the debris of the destroyed fighter. The woman was in serious need of some training with ranged weapons.

"You over heated again? Still you got two, not bad for a beginner," Canderous commented.

"It's damn good for anyone," Carth countered sourly. "Try counting to three everytime you pull the trigger, then let up for three, Viata," Carth advised.

"Affirmative, thanks," Traviata acknowledged. "What is it with the weapons I get? They all have issues with overheating! I'll have to learn how to baby them until we can get them fixed," she added.

Silence met her comment.

Carth cleared his throat after a moment; now was not the time to give her his honest opinion of her capabilities with ranged weapons. "Good idea," was all he said.

The ship rocked violently as it was assaulted with another salvo. The sound of alarms going off in the cockpit echoed in the headset this time.

"Carth?" Traviata asked, wondering how bad the damage was.

"We're almost there, just try to keep them off of us a few more seconds," Carth's intense voice came over the headset. "Frak. See if you can keep that one jumpy bastard off our ass. I need to get the right bearing before we go into hyperspace," he added, maneuvering the ship into a figure eight.

"We can do that," Traviata said her finger squeezing the trigger, aiming at the fighter who seemed to be causing the most damage. Everytime she'd get him in her sights, he'd change sides of the ship, that had to be the one Carth was referring to. Her focus on destroying the fighter, she forgot to count as Carth had intstructed. The whirring sound of the already hot weapon overheating again caused her to swear under her breath, silencing the alarm before it could go off once more.

"Canderous. He's heading your way, I um, can't get a lock on him. He should be coming to your side about-" Traviata paused at the loud explosion outside the ship, debris banging on the hull and a burst of light let her know Canderous had nailed it.

"Nice, Canderous," Traviata said into her headset.

"This is what I live for," Canderous replied. "There's one making a pass now, heading your way."

Her fingers twitched waiting for the fighter. When he came into her sights, she sprayed him with laser fire. Her turret spun her around as the weapon continued pounding the tiny fighter.

The sound of another explosion, followed by more loud alarms and a momentary dimming of the lights on her control panel.

"Whoa, that was a close one," Traviata exclaimed.

"Haar'chak, got that slippery bastard," Canderous roared.

The stars began to elongate into a blur before turning into bright streaks and then into the blue tunnel of hyperspace. "Hyperdrive is engaged," Carth's voice came over the headset.

Traviata let go a deep breath, scurrying from the close confines of the turret and rushing to the passage way, almost running into a jubilant Canderous.

"That was-" Canderous started, his eyes watching her hasty departure, Traviata didn't stop to hear the rest of what he had to say.

"Sorry I need to see, Carth. I'll talk to you later," Traviata tossed over her shoulder.

She raced to the cockpit. It didn't cross her mind to wonder why, she just knew she had to be with Carth, to share this moment of victory with him.

When she found him he rose quickly to his feet, enveloping her into his chest so tightly he picked her up off her feet. Being there with Carth, their escape now seemed real to her and she let go a long breath.

"You did it, just like you said you would. We're safely off Taris. I never doubted you'd do it for a second," Traviata assured him.

"_We_ did it," Carth corrected. "I couldn't have done it without you," he informed her, his grip on her lossening, letting her feet back down to the ground.

"Should be a blue milk run from here," Carth continued, his voice sounding the most relaxed she'd ever heard, but very tired. He released her from his embrace and taking her by the hand led her to the pilot's seat. He sat down tugging her into the seat with him, enough room in the seat for her to sit halfway across him and half off.

"All I have to do now is get Bastilla to Dantooine and then we can get back to Fleet," Carth commented, wrapping his arms around Traviata. Maybe even some sort of a shot at some happiness for a change, he thought.

Traviata craned her head up, leaning onto his shoulder her eyes scanning his lightly bearded face. In the weeks they'd been stranded she'd never once seen him unshaven, as he was now. She noticed the etched lines around his eyes, dark circles under them from lack of sleep.

"You look so tired," she said tenderly. Her fingers trailed over the corners of his eyes, wondering how long it had been since he'd had any actual, real sleep. She gently ran a hand through his hair, pushing it off of his forehead.

That ignited something in him, his mouth found hers, his lips hard and demanding. He used one of his arms to cradle her, his free hand on her chin, turning her head in the direction allowing him full access to her mouth, his kiss deepening even more.

Traviata returned his kiss with a hunger of her own, pulling his head tightly to hers wrapping her arms around his neck. His kiss setting fire to her soul, taking her breath away.

Carth eventually broke the kiss his eyes clouded with passion. He ran a hand gently through her hair bringing her head to his again. Carth's kiss was gentle this time and when it ended, he held her to him, tucking her head beneath his chin, his arms wrapped around her. He leaned over for a moment, punching at controls on the chair, causing it to recline slightly. Shifting his weight he leaned back into the seat, his eyes closing. When she moved to get up so he could rest better, his arms clamped around her like a vise.

"Stay with me," he murmured sleepily.

She nodded against his chest and nestled deeper into his arms, her head resting on his chest.

It only took a few minutes for the Commander to find the first real sleep he'd had in weeks. Knowing that he'd gotten them off of Taris and away from Malak, he allowed himself the luxury of falling asleep holding safely to him the one thing in the world he knew he could no longer do without.

Traviata let her gaze wander to the blur of hyperspace, lost in thoughts of how much had changed in the past few weeks. How deeply she'd come to care for the man holding her, she didn't want to think of a life without him in it. How that was going to all work out with them both in Fleet, she had no idea. There would be time to figure that out though later, she'd couldn't think of that now. Traviata felt her eyelids growing heavy as exhaustion claimed her, feeling certain that the shadows of her nightmares would not find her this time.

The Sith lord stood at the viewport in his dark silent quarters; alone, staring at nothing, fingering a medallion on a slim silver chain. He liked the dark and being by himself, especially when he had a problem to solve. Malak was searching for the answer to the question that plagued him. Was Bastilla still alive?

He held up the medallion studying it in the low light; he always carried it with him. It was the one thing from his past that he held on to. He didn't know why, but particularly in times like these he found himself looking at the trinket.

The door chimed. Malak knew it was Saul Karath, quite excited about something. He also had someone with him, waiting just down the hall from him. One more quick look at the necklace and he tucked it inside his tunic. With a wave of his hand the door opened.

"What is it, Admiral?" Malak demanded, his tone as displeased as his mood.

"Lord Malak, I have news of Bastilla. May I come in?" Karath said, with a slight bow.

"Don't waste my time. What news?" Malak said, moving so fast to the Admiral his movement wasn't discernible.

"Bastilla is alive, she escaped from Taris in a ship, the Ebon Hawk, with the help of others," Karath replied nervously. "I checked, and there are reports of that ship passing the blockade. Our fighters pursued, but they escaped into hyperspace before reinforcements arrived."

"How do you know Bastilla was on that vessel and who is she with, Admiral?" Malak demanded harshly.

"There was a witness, who can identify the entire group," Karath supplied. "One of them I know personally, Carth Onasi. He served under me in the Republic, he's resourceful, tough, and a cunning tactician."

Malak's gaze narrowed, "Really. You sound as if you admire him, Admiral. Who else was in the group?"

"There was a Mandalorian mercenary, several others-"

"A Mandalorian helped her escape?" Malak shouted, using the force to send a desk crashing into a wall, the furniture falling in bits to the floor. Malak had a deep seeded hate of Mandalorians; they had devastated his homeworld. He'd been forced to flee as a boy, barely escaping with his life.

"Perhaps the rest... well the rest I will let Calo Nord tell you himself," he paused, obviously shaken at the Dark Lord's angry display of his power. "May I bring him in my Lord?"

"Yes and you may wait for him outside, Admiral," Malak instructed. The Sith lord had no stomach for cowardice, and if Karath stayed in his presence much longer he'd most likely kill him. He was useful to the Dark Lord though, at least for the time being while they were invading the Republic systems.

"Yes, my Lord Malak," Saul said with a slight bow, backing up quickly and disappearing out the door.

Calo Nord walked into the private chamber and gave the Sith master a slight nod.

"So you saw Bastilla escape?" Malak quizzed.

"Yes, she and her companions only got away from me after a building fell on me," Nord responded.

"You faced a Jedi, Republic soldier, and a Mandalorian and lived to tell about it? Surprising," Malak said skeptically.

"I am difficult to kill, Lord Malak," Calo answered.

"If that is all true, then consider yourself hired, bounty hunter, to find Bastilla. I want her alive if possible, the others I want dead," Malak ordered.

"Yes, Lord Malak, it will be my pleasure," Calo hesitated.

"There's something else?" Malak demanded.

"Yes, I've already shown Karath this," Calo pulled out a datapad, keying up a photograph he'd managed to upload from the security footage at Daviks. "I thought you would want a look. This is a picture of Bastilla and her companions and you can see that she has quite a bit of help."

Malak studied the photo. "Yes she does indeed have quite a bit of help," he agreed darkly, pausing for a moment. "Leave me, you have your orders."

Calo nodded and made a hasty retreat out the door.

The Dark Sith Lord walked over to his nearby desk, setting the datapad down, he keyed his comlink.

"Admiral, I want the fleet deployed and searching every know system for Bastilla. Ready my shuttle, I'm returning to my own ship," Malak ordered not waiting for a response.

There would be no way the bounty hunter could stand against the Jedi anymore than he had before. He may provide him with leads to their whereabouts though. At the very least he'd be a distraction to the group.

The Sith Lord retrieved the datapad, his eyes staring at the picture of Bastilla and her companions for a moment and then strode angrily through the door, his cloak billowing behind him, anxious to get to his ship and begin his own search for Bastilla and her companions.


	12. Chapter 11 - The Soldier & the Council

**Chapter 11**

**The Soldier & the Council**

"_Nearly__all__men__can__stand__adversity,__but__if__you__want__to__test__a__man's__character,__give__him__power.__"_ _**-**__**Abraham**____**Lincoln**_

Traviata stood atop a grassy hilltop in the bright sunlight, overlooking the windswept Khoonda plains; a light breeze playing through her golden hair, absentmindedly twirling a piece grass. She took in a deep breath, enjoying the clean fresh scent, she closed her eyes momentarily. There was a sense of peace in this place, but it also stirred a feeling of unease in her as well. She assessed that the unease was probably due to the stress of the situation they were now in.

Carth and Bastilla had quarreled bitterly on their arrival. Carth wanted to meet immediately with the Jedi High Council; he wanted to have a face to face with them and return to Fleet HQ. That was apparently not going to happen, at least not in the time frame the Commander had in mind.

The two of them went back and forth, Carth finally pulling Bastilla into the Captain's quarters for privacy. Traviata had heard Carth use her name several times, his voice was raised, which made it easy to hear nearly every other word he said. It had something to do with his suspicions of Bastilla's intentions to recruit Traviata all along. When he began yelling about the dangers of the Force, Traviata decided to take a walk. She was all too familiar with his objections to the Jedi and this mission. The soldier took in a deep breath, trying to clear her head.

"Traviata?" Bastilla said, coming up behind her.

"Hey, Bastilla," Traviata said, turning her attention to the stunning young Jedi. This environment suited her; it was the most relaxed she'd ever seen the uptight woman.

"I thought I might find you here- its serenity and natural beauty are soothing," Bastilla explained.

"Yes, it's mesmerizing in a way," Traviata studied the woman for a moment, before tossing aside her piece of grass. "I'm betting you're here for a reason other than the scenery," Traviata stated.

"That is correct. The Council would like to speak with you. I've told them about your abilities and they want the chance to meet with you themselves," Bastilla said.

"Me?" Traviata asked, stunned. "I assure you, I'm nothing special. I don't want to waste their time."

"Your modesty is commendable, but I believe you are highly sensitive to the Force. Let the Council be the judge. They are Jedi Masters, very wise, and are the only ones really qualified to determine your power in the Force," Bastilla suggested, turning and walking toward the enclave. "We should hurry, they are waiting."

Traviata's head was spinning with the idea, but if they wanted to talk to her, she'd go, though she felt like she was seeing them under false pretenses. In moments they were standing in the council chambers, facing four Jedi Masters.

Her comlink vibrated on her wrist, she knew before looking at the screen who was trying to contact her. It shook again, this time accompanied by an annoying beeping. She glanced at the screen, it was Carth. Had he seen the Council already? Her stomach lurched at what his reaction had been to this meeting. Surely Bastilla told him, she thought.

"Does Carth know about this? Has he seen the Council yet?" Traviata asked, her head snapping in Bastilla's direction.

"No; the Commander has a closed mind about the Jedi, especially when it involves you. The Council knows of his desire to meet with them, they will see him-" Bastilla paused glancing quickly to the Jedi Masters standing across the room but easily within earshot. "Very soon. Your situation though, they felt, needed to be dealt with first."

"Frak," she mouthed silently, the prospect of telling Carth where she was standing was not appealing to her in the slightest. The comlink seemed to grow louder and angrier in it's tone, demanding a response.

"Just turn it off. You can communicate with the Commander after, these are special circumstances," Bastilla suggested, her head gesturing toward the group waiting and watching the pair with interest.

'I can't do that, he's my Commander, Bastilla, and -" she paused, shrugging her shoulders slightly. "I just can't do that to him. Just give me a minute," she added before punching at the comlink.

"I'm with Bastilla, and the Jedi Council," Traviata said quietly.

"What? I'll be right there," Carth's irritation was obvious, even over the comlink.

Bastilla shook her head. "This is a private meeting. He can't be in here right now. They will meet with him later."

"Bastilla says it's private - I'm sorry, Carth," Traviata said soberly, grimacing as she spoke.

"Bastilla, I know you can hear me. Traviata's a Republic soldier, not a member of your order. This is still a military mission, and I give the orders regarding my crew, not you," Carth said gruffly.

"The Council is waiting, we must go to them. They have many other important matters to attend to. This should not take very long," Bastilla said, moving forward.

"I'm sorry, Carth. I have to go, I'll contact you when we're finished," Traviata promised.

Silence and then profuse swearing blasted from the tiny device. She quickly switched off the unit. Great, she'd never hear the end of this she thought, casting an apologetic gaze on the Jedi present. They had to have heard the entire exchange.

A Twi'lek approached Traviata. "Welcome, Traviata Kerkes. I am Master Zhar Lestin. This is Master Vrook, Master Vandar, and Master Dorak," he said, gesturing to each Master as he made the introductions. "We have all been discussing your rather _unusual_ case."

"I don't mean any disrespect, but I don't understand – why am I here?" Traviata asked.

"We are considering training you as a Jedi. Bastilla tells us you are very strong in the Force," Master Zhar replied.

"Strong in the Force?" Traviata responded, stunned at the implications of what that meant.

"Perhaps, Master Zhar, we should require undeniable proof that she is strong in the Force," Master Vrook put in, his irritation obvious.

"Proof? Are you serious? Can you not feel the power in this woman? I've related to you the events that occurred on Taris and in our escape," Bastilla shot back at the older humanoid man.

"Perhaps she is just lucky," Vrook countered gruffly.

"Master Vrook, come now, we both know there is no such thing as luck. Besides, we can all feel this woman's strength in the Force. It is wild and unfocused, but now that it has manifested itself, do you think we can just safely ignore it?" Master Zhar rebutted, his lecklu twitching slightly as he finished.

"That may be, but she's an adult. There is a reason we begin Jedi training as children. Becoming a Jedi is difficult and requires an open mind to the Force," Master Vrook responded, his eyes fixed on Traviata.

"If you all feel my power, perhaps you should give me a chance. I know I would like to learn how to control these feelings that are so overwhelming. I've spent my life mastering many difficult skills, perhaps you will find me up for the challenge," Traviata defended. She really had no great desire to become a Jedi, but if they could help her learn to handle these strange urges and if it made her a better soldier because of it in the end, then she was willing to give it her all.

"Bah, listen to her. She's full of pride and arrogance. This one's already on the path to the dark side," Vrook commented.

"As are many, Master Vrook, who are not given the proper guidance and training. It is only with our intervention and counsel that we can hope to bring those back to the light, who've strayed into the darkness," Master Vandar, standing in the center of the group, spoke for the first time. This small creature seemed to be the leader of the others, given the way they all looked to him.

"It is true we do not usually accept adults for training, but this is a special case," Master Dorak said thoughtfully.

"I agree with Master Dorak, and with so many of our pupils leaving to follow the quick and easy path of the Sith, we find ourselves in need of every candidate. With Revan now dead, we need Jedi to stand against Malak," Vandar explained.

"But are we sure Revan _is_ really dead? What if we decide to train this one and the Dark Lord should return?" Vrook said.

"This is a matter for the Council alone, we should discuss this in private," Vandar said to Vrook.

Turning to Bastilla, "You and Traviata should leave now. We will let you know what we decide."

Bastilla and Traviata treaded quietly down the passageway; when they came to a junction Bastilla stopped. "I'm going to my quarters. I want to meditate and get some rest. You should as well; it could be days before we hear anything from the Council."

"You have quarters here? I guess that makes sense actually. Have you lived here long?" Traviata asked, finding herself curious about Bastilla's past.

"I first spent some time on Coruscant when I was a small child and then they moved me here later, about the time Revan and Malak left for the Mandalorian wars," she replied, images of the past playing through her mind.

"Your parents? What did they think of it? I'm sorry, if you'd rather not discuss it. I understand," Traviata added apologetically.

"No, it's fine, I understand why you would be curious. My parents didn't mind, though I missed them a great deal. My father traveled and I was never close to my mother. Anyway, emotional attachment is -discouraged when you are a Jedi. My parents are relationships I left behind. I haven't spoken to either of them in many years," Bastilla trailed off, a hint of melancholy in her voice.

"I have no memory of my parents," Traviata said looking off to the star filled sky. "I grew up in an orphanage, a ward of the Republic. It's one of the reasons I'm in the military," she paused returning her attention to Bastilla. "Wait you came here about the time of the Mandalorian wars? Carth is very affected by what happened with Revan and Malak. You must have crossed paths with them here. What was your impression?"

"I was young and only saw them from a distance a few times here on Dantooine- they were loyal, respected and powerful Jedi. I remember their betrayal being a shock to everyone," Bastilla paused, now looking up into the night sky herself.

"These ponderings are best saved for another time. You especially have much more pressing matters to think on, and I find myself quite fatigued. I will take my leave of you now," Bastilla said abruptly her eyes briefly meeting hers before turning and heading toward her quarters.

"I'll be at the ship then," Traviata replied dryly to Bastilla's quickly retreating form, trying to wrap her head around all that had just been discussed. She moved slowly to the Hawk, not bothering to turn her comlink on. There was no way she was trying to explain this to Carth in any way but in person and then she didn't know how she'd do that.

When Traviata entered the hatchway of the vessel she could here the clicks and beeps of someone working at a monitor nearby. She followed the noise to the main hold; sitting at a table, surrounded by datapads, was Carth. He stopped what he was doing when she entered, cast her a baleful look and went back to work.

Traviata spied a carafe of stimcaf on a nearby counter. She walked over to it; finding two mugs that looked passably clean she gathered up the items and went to the table and sat across from Carth.

She poured him a cup and pushed it in front of him, "Peace offering."

His eyes bore into hers, saying nothing, ignoring the beverage.

The silence lingered and hardened. Carth returned his attention back to his datapads.

"So you're ignoring me now?" Traviata asked.

"No, I'm pretty sure it's you ignoring me. You're the one who cut off your comlink," Carth said calmly, not looking up from the screen.

"Well I was in with the Council, and you were angry. What exactly was I supposed to do?" Traviata replied.

Carth looked up at that. "You could have come and told me what was going on before you went in there. I didn't expect you to keep me out of the loop too, Traviata."

"I didn't know you didn't know until I was already there. By then, there was no time, they were waiting on me," Traviata explained. "It all just happened so fast."

"So the Council wouldn't break their rules and see me, but they urgently needed to see you," Carth replied icily. "I lost my ship and nearly my entire crew on their _special__assignment_and they can't spare the time to meet with me. Yet they had to immediately see _you,_the last minute addition to the complement," he continued curtly. "No offense, but help me out here – doesn't really add up."

"I know little of the Jedi and how they do things, Carth," she responded, her steady gaze holding his. "They say I am strong in the Force and wanted to talk to me about becoming a Jedi," Traviata explained.

Carth came quickly to his feet, "I just bet they did. That was their frakin' plan from the beginning, I'd wager. I'll bet that was what was behind your mysterious transfer to Fleet to begin with. That's why they didn't want me in there; I'd have confronted them about it. When are they going to ever frakin' learn?"

Traviata considered his words; they were thoughts that had crossed her mind as well. She'd never understood her transfer. She'd gone over the events leading up to it and it didn't make any sense. In her mind, she hadn't done anything to deserve a demotion much less being transferred to an entire different branch of service. His theory, as paranoid as it sounded, made as much sense as any other scenario she could come up with.

The Commander studied Traviata for a moment, his features tense. "What did you tell them? You know, about being a Jedi," he added.

"If they decide they're willing to train me, then I'm- not sure really, but maybe-" she trailed off with a shrug, her gaze drifting away from his, unable to withstand his probing gaze.

"That was your answer to them?" Carth persisted, his scowl deepening.

"Well, I did say yes, I guess," Traviata answered, her wary eyes finding his. It was a lot to process, there was a part of her that wanted to learn how to master this ability and then another part of her that just wanted to walk away and reclaim her life, forgetting anything about the Force and Jedi.

Carth pounded a wall in anger, swearing under his breath he headed down a passageway. Traviata scrambled to her feet quickly following him.

"Will you wait a minute?" Traviata asked, on his heels.

"What for? Like you listen to anything I say! You're just going to do what you want no matter what I say," he grumbled, not breaking his stride as he spoke.

"That's not true, I place great value in your opinion. If you'd just stop and give me a chance to explain," she shot back, close on his heels.

"There's nothing for you to explain. You have no idea what you're playing with. Period. I said you should leave it alone, but you have to do it your way and mess with this Jedi hocus pocus," Carth accused her, climbing up an access ladder. "You're the most damn stubborn, obstinate woman I've ever, Frakin met." 

"I'm obstinate? Listen to you - I already have the power, Carth. I just want to learn how to control it, that's all. I have no intention-" Traviata put in, her own agitation now evident, her feet noisily climbing up the ladder after the Captain.

"That's the frakin' way it starts, I've told you that. Then the next thing you know you want to learn more to help the helpless and defeat evil. Until one day you wake up and realize you've become the monster you were chasing," Carth threw over his shoulder, adjusting a pressure valve, before continuing on his way.

"Saul turned into a monster, and he wasn't a Jedi. He was a frakin' Republic soldier," Traviata shouted after him, coming to stop.

Carth turned abruptly, closing the distance between them with speed. "Who turned him into that monster? It was Revan. Who does he serve now? Malak," he ground out between clenched teeth, taking Traviata by her forearms. "Who turned Malak? Revan, who was powerful in the Force and wanted to save the Republic. Sound familiar?" he continued.

"You think I could do what any of them did? You think I'm capable of that Carth?" Traviata asked flatly. His words stung like raindrops on bare skin while riding a speeder bike.

Carth regretted his harsh words and gave his head a quick shake. "No," he let go a long breath. "Listen, I'm not saying you'll turn into a monster like Revan but you've no idea what you're opening yourself up to. The Force, in the hands of a Master can do terrifying things. Choke people to death, throw people off cliffs, pick up massive boulders and crush the life out of someone. That's just for starters; it can torture with electric shock, cause fear and confusion, it can rip the mind right out of a person," Carth's intent gaze held hers.

"Even Bastilla, with her powerful battle meditation, she can change the course of a battle, taking the will to fight right out of the soldiers. Just imagine that in the hands of the Sith," he paused to put meaning behind his next words. "The stronger you are in the Force, the greater the cost is when you fall. You said the Council said you were powerful, have you even considered the consequences of the course you're thinking of taking?" he trailed off.

"You have no faith in me at all, do you?" Traviata asked quietly.

"I believe more in you than I have anyone in a very long time. You should know that, it's just-" Carth let her arms go, running a hand through his hair, he took a breath. "I don't want you to do this, Traviata. Every instinct I have says it's too dangerous and risky," he finished.

"What if I'm in more danger if I don't learn how to control this power? More importantly, what if I'm more of a threat to others this way?" Traviata asked.

"Between the nightmares and this tugging from the Force, or whatever it is, I don't even Frakin know what to call it," she paused, shaking her head. "It gets stronger all the time. Carth, sometimes I feel like I could lose myself to it and that terrifies me," Traviata admitted, a shiver running through her. "It feels like I'm drowning in a pool of icy cold murky water at times - I don't know what else to do but give the Jedi a try."

Carth's brow furrowed and he pulled her into his arms, "Come here." Traviata's fear was obvious; he'd witnessed the decline of her mental state since Taris.

"I'll always find you – I won't let you be lost to this. That's a promise, Viata," he comforted her, his hand gently rubbing her back. He wished he could shake off the sense of foreboding that he had that it was a promise that might be impossible to keep. "I don't know what the answer is, but we'll figure it out. It's all going to be okay."

"When I'm in your arms, I actually believe that," Traviata replied, letting her head sink deeper into his chest. It was true, when she was with Carth, she felt at peace, safe. His arms were an impenetrable barrier between her and the dark feelings that hung over her.

Traviata marveled at the crumbling temple, held together in some places with huge vines. The massive entry doors were intricately carved, ancient dust swirled about a brooding black caped figure pacing in front of the ingress.

She noticed another; a tall thin man, with a tattooed head, broad shoulders and also wearing black but without a cape. Both figures had light sabers dangling from their sides.

"The dark side is strong here. I can feel its power," he said.

The caped figure stopped, turning and revealing a masked face and heavy black armor that reached to the floor.

"Do you think this wise, Revan? If we enter, we will surely be banned from the Order," the man pointed out.

Traviata knew at that moment that it was Revan and Malak she was watching. Her heart began racing, panic rising in her chest, her blood turning to ice.

"If we go through this door, there is no going back," Malak said looking away, hesitation on his face and in his tone.

"Can the secrets of the Star Forge be so powerful that it's worth the risk, Revan?" Malak asked.

A wave of the hand and the doors slid aside was all the response Malak received and Revan walked into the building trailed by Malak.

When they'd entered the room, a three legged structure opened and a projector orb ascended, producing a holographic map.

With a start Traviata awoke, gasping for air. She looked at her surroundings; she was in the Captain's quarters on the Ebon Hawk. Carth had offered for her to sleep in there the previous night, saying he got his best sleep in the pilot's seat anyway. Knowing him, it was probably true, so she'd gratefully accepted.

Traviata rose quickly from the cool sheets, padding silently to the bathroom. She stood in front of the mirror staring at the image before her. She grimaced at the face reflected back at her; her eyes were bloodshot and the dark circles were not a good look on her. She looked ten years older, she surmised. Traviata looked away from the haunted eyes returning her stare.

Had she really just had a dream about Darth Revan and Darth Malak? If so, where had they been and what were they doing, she wondered. More importantly, why was she dreaming about dark Sith Lords? What did it mean? Was this some Jedi thing? Was this the Force guiding her in some way? If so what the hell was it saying? She gave her head a slight shake; all she had were questions, a headache, and a deep sense of dark foreboding. Traviata turned on the faucet splashing water on her face, hoping it would clear her head. No help.

Images of Darth Revan and Malak flashed before her again, causing a chill to run down her spine. She could still feel the evil, almost as if she'd really come into contact with them moments ago. Fresh air and sun; that would help. She'd head back to the spot overlooking the Khoonda Plains, let her fears be carried away on the winds that constantly danced across the valley. With a speed she didn't know possible,she was dressed and walking down the gang plank. Carth was standing just outside the ship, sipping on a stimcaf. His eyes narrowed at her appearance.

"What's wrong?" he asked, coming to her side. He knew instantly she wasn't well.

"You don't look well," Carth said with concern, his hand pushing back some hair from her face. "Your skin is like ice, Traviata."

When she didn't respond he went on. "Bastilla looked almost as bad as you. No offense," Carth offered, shaking his head slightly. Smooth Onasi, real smooth, he berated himself.

Traviata ran a self conscious hand over her hair and stood as tall as she could manage. "How could I possibly take offense at such a charming greeting," she replied dryly.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean that like it sounded. What I meant was`" he let go a long breath. The only way out of this was to be honest, if there was a way out at all.

"What I was trying to say is, I really don't pay attention to how she looks- I mean we all know she always looks ridiculously provocative-" he paused at the flash in her eyes.

"You know, in that obvious, superficial, inappropriate way of hers," he said his face tightening as she crossed her arms over her body. Not a good sign he thought, he was really rusty at this.

"Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that _even__I_ noticed she looked awful this morning- upset," he moved closer taking her head into his hands, his eyes holding hers. "You, I notice everything about-" he paused, his gaze searching hers. In truth he could tell her moods now by the look in her eye and the way she carried herself. Right now she was still mad at him, but she was almost ready to forgive him and she was deeply troubled, fearful even about something.

"Viata, you always look beautiful to me, even after you've been fighting a Rancor for hours-" he began.

"Enough, Carth- I get it," she said letting go a long breath. "It's fine, just drop it. No big deal, I know I look like bantha dung. I had a really bad night," she added.

"I'm sorry. What is it? Maybe you should go back to bed," he said wrapping his arms around her, pulling her against his chest.

"No way," she said pushing herself away to look up at his face. "What I need is a walk."

"Well if you're sure you feel up to it," he paused, his eyes scanning her. If she was determined to stay up, he'd give her Bastilla's message. "You know Bastilla mentioned that you should meet her at the Council chambers when you woke. She said it was important," he said the last part begrudgingly, wondering how he became Bastilla's message boy. Not to mention that it infuriated him that she said it with such authority, as if Traviata had no choice.

With that bit of info, Traviata pushed herself from his embrace completely. "Just slipped your mind to tell me that until now?"

"No. I was hoping to get you to rest once I saw the state you were in. When it was clear to me that wasn't going to happen, then I passed on the message," he explained with a shrug.

Traviata stepped away, turning from him, "I need to go, I'll explain later," she mumbled over her shoulder.

"Traviata. Will you wait a minute?" he said grabbing her arm.

"I should go meet with the Council. You said it was important," she replied.

"_She.__She_said it was important. _You_ don't have to run off at her request. She has no power over you," Carth reminded her, his voice as tense as his face.

"I have to go, they're waiting-" she said trying to break free from his grasp that tightened.

"No, no you don't have to," he corrected firmly. "You can stay right here if you want," he added.

"You don't understand," she said struggling under his vice like grip. He was keeping her from seeing the only ones she felt could help her understand what her nightmare meant and why it affected her so deeply.

"I mean it. I have to see the Council. Let go, Carth," she yelled, using all her strength she flung back her arm. It wasn't necessary though, he let her loose at her words, causing her to stumble back slightly. When he moved closer, and put his hand on her arm to steady her, she shook him off.

He tossed up both his hands in frustration and took a step backwards, his eyes reflecting his confusion.

"I'm sorry, I know you're just trying to help and I know you don't understand but I promise I'll explain everything after I talk to the Council. Trust me, Carth," Traviata said quietly. She impulsively leaned in and, standing on her tiptoes, she gave him a soft kiss on the cheek. Then before he could respond she tore out of the landing area heading for the courtyard that would lead her to the Council's inner chambers.

"Damn Onasi. What was that all about? At first I thought you two were fighting and then she kissed you-" Canderous commented as he walked up to the Commander. "Kinda Mandalorian, that woman."

"Doesn't concern you, Canderous," Carth said, his eyes staring after Traviata's quickly disappearing form.

"You're wrong about that, Fleet," Canderous retorted.

Carth's eyes shot to Canderous at that. "Did you have any luck finding a transport yet?" He disliked the Mandalorian just based on his past affiliation with the Mandalorian War, his undisguised interest in Traviata escalated it to something more.

Canderous chuckled lightly, a light in his eye. "Oh, I'm looking. May take some time though. This isn't exactly a space hub," he replied. "Besides, you could use my help getting the Hawk ready to return to space. She's in need of some repairs after our escape off Taris."

"The Hawk isn't your concern either," Carth shot back, his eyes scanning the exterior of the ship. He had to admit that Canderous was right though; the vessel needed some work and Dantooine wasn't loaded with wrench jockeys.

"It may be the only ride off this catatonic rock, Fleet. At least anytime soon. Come on, you might as well let me help while I'm here," Canderous countered.

"Me too," Mission chimed in coming up behind the pair, Zaalbar at her side. "You could use my help with the computer systems. They're good, but they could be so much better with a little bit of tweaking," she added.

Zaalbar chimed in as well, no doubt offering his services. "Alright, alright. You can all help as long as we're here. I appreciate the assist," he admitted. It was a big job and it needed to be done before he took the Hawk back into space.

"Awesome," Mission exclaimed joyfully. "You won't regret it Carth, you'll see, I. am. going. to. BLOW your mind with what I can do to these systems."

Carth couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm. "Just don't blow up the ship, kid. I've seen your work, I know it will be-" he paused wanting to use the word awesome, but just couldn't bring himself to say it. He realized it made him happy though to see a spark of life in the young girl. "You'll do an exemplary job I'm sure, Mission."

Zaalbar roared something unintelligible to his ears, causing him to return his attention to Canderous and the wookie.

"Canderous, if you want to get started, assess the damage to the hull and equipment and let me know what you're going to need to get her back in shape. Zaalbar, would you mind helping?" Carth asked just as Zaalbar enthusiastically nodded. The Captain glanced quickly at his chrono. In the mean time he could go in and message Paul. He was due for an update on their situation. The Commander had kept in close contact with him since their escape from Taris and Carth was due to check in.


	13. Chapter 12 - The Reluctant Jedi

**A/N: **Huge thanks for reading my story and for your comments. Also a gigantic thank you to my editor who used her down time this past weekend to work on chapters I had sent. I'm so grateful to you all.

**The ****Reluctant ****Jedi**

**Chapter****12**

"_Never __doubt __that __a __small __group __of __thoughtful, __committed, __citizens __can __change __the __world. __Indeed,__it __is __the __only __thing __that __ever __has.__"_

**_-__Margaret __Mead_**

Traviata hurried to the Jedi Council chambers to find all of them assembled, speaking quietly with Bastilla.

"Come in, Traviata. Bastilla was just telling us that you and she shared a dream of Revan and Malak here at the ancient ruins," Master Vandar explained. "That's a most unusual development."

"We've known about the ruins of course, but we thought them nothing more than burial mounds," Master Dorak offered.

"Trust me, there are more than tombs there," Traviata put in, her voice shaky.

"We agree. Bastilla has described the dream in great detail and we feel it was not a dream but a vision. The Force is acting through you as it does in Bastilla," Vandar replied.

"I'm having visions? Why? I don't understand- " Traviata barely got out.

"You and Bastilla share a connection through the Force – a bond," Master Zhar put in.

"Whatever dangers lie ahead, we cannot deny that destiny has brought you here together," Vandar said.

"What are you saying? We're joined in some way?" Traviata struggled to make sense of what she was hearing.

"Your fates are linked; it may be that the two of you can stop Malak and the Sith," Vandar replied.

"Are you ready to endure hardships for this cause?" Master Vrook asked Traviata, his voice abrupt. She'd sensed an open hostility from him since first meeting him.

"I am," was all Traviata was able to put in words. She could still feel the coldness from the vision, the pure evil emanating from the pair. Malak had to be stopped, she had to help save the Republic, and everyone else, whatever it cost her.

"Know that we don't really have a choice but to enlist your help. Our forces are spread out around the galaxy, and our numbers are dwindling daily. Malak advances; his resources expanding, while ours and the Republic's forces and resources diminish," Vandar said sadly.

"What can I do? How can we stop Malak?" Traviata asked.

"We feel the Force is at work here and the answer may be in the vision you shared with Bastilla. We want you to investigate the ruins, see what you can discover," Vandar explained.

"Perhaps you will find a clue of how Revan and Malak were corrupted, and a way to stop them," Master Dorak, the chronicler of the Academy put in. "I would be most interested to know what first led them down the dark path, so that it may be recorded."

"I understand. I can leave now to investigate," Traviata offered, with more confidence than she felt. The idea of entering that Temple caused an involuntary chill to run up her spine.

All of the Masters exchanged uneasy glances, Master Vandar shaking his head slowly. "No, not yet," he said barely above a whisper.

"The Force flows through you like none we've ever seen, but you are willful, unfocused and head strong, a very dangerous combination," Master Zhar commented.

"You must be trained in the ways of the Force so that you may resist the dark side, before you go out on this mission," Vandar explained. "You are doomed to fail if you do not."

"Your training must begin at once," Master Zhar said. "We don't have much time."

"Agreed. You are safe here, for a while Traviata, but it will not last," Master Vandar agreed.

"I understand, but there is something I must do first," she hesitated before continuing. "I need to go talk to Carth before I begin," Traviata countered.

Master Vandar met Zhar's eyes and nodded slightly, "We've discussed your relationship with the Commander. It is as this entire situation is, unique, regrettable, and unavoidable; we have no choice but to allow it."

"Please be swift, we have much to cover," Zhar said with a twitch of his head-tails.

"Yes, Master Zhar, I'll be as fast as I can," Traviata replied, making her way hastily to the doorway, bolting from the building once clear from the council chambers.

When she arrived at the ship, she found Carth in the communications room speaking to someone. He held up a finger, meeting her gaze briefly before continuing his conversation.

"Okay, Admiral. I'll look over the data you sent me and let you know what I think. I've officially confiscated the ship for the Republic Fleet. I'm sending you the documents now," Carth informed him, punching at the control panel.

"You're working on that project for me?" Carth asked, his gaze questioning.

"Yes, I'm arranging transportation now and I've got things lined up on this end. Jaycee is ecstatic about it, she says she may even get to see you occasionally now, once all this is over, that is," the Admiral explained.

"I owe you, Paul. Tell Jaycee thanks for me as well," Carth replied. "Tell her I'll thank her in person- when I'm able."

"Don't let's start who owes who more, I'd win that one. Besides, like I said Jaycee is jubilant at the idea of having the young lady come stay with us," the Admiral retorted.

"I was hoping to bring her there myself, Paul. But like we discussed earlier, I'm not sure when I'll get out of here," Carth explained.

"Before you go, there's someone I want to introduce you to," Carth turned motioning to Traviata to come closer. "Paul, this is Traviata Kerkes," Carth said with a smile, his pride evident.

"Traviata, this is Paul Connors," Carth said nodding slightly to the monitor.

The Admiral's face broke into a broad smile, "Good to meet you, Traviata."

Traviata looked from Carth to the Admiral; he didn't use rank, this was personal, obviously a friend of his. Still, she couldn't just ignore the gold bars on his uniform.

"Admiral-"

"No, no, you can call me Paul, this is strictly personal at the moment," the Admiral chastised, sitting forward in his chair, straining to get a better look at the woman.

"Yes, sir- I mean, it's nice to meet you too, Paul," Traviata said warmly, returning his smile.

"Carth's told me some good things about you, Traviata," the Admiral revealed, glad he was sitting down or he may have passed out in shock. He'd never known Carth to show any interest in a woman since the death of his wife.

"Good things, huh?" Traviata said, casting a playful glance at Carth. "I think he's left out the part where I'm usually driving him crazy."

"A royal pain in my ass at times," Carth added with mock severity. "Stubborn as a bantha."

"A Bantha? Me? Oh, ouch, I think you hurt my girl feelings with that one," Traviata tossed back, mustering a pained look.

The Captain smiled broadly, "Really? Your girl feelings? Well I can't have that," he returned with a slight chuckle, his gaze still on the view screen.

"Of course, as I mentioned Paul, she does have her good points," he paused, his voice turning serious. "I know I couldn't have come this far without her, she's loyal to the Republic as any I've ever known and I've never met anyone who understands more fully what it is to be a soldier. Never known anyone like her."

"Thank you, Carth," Traviata paused, placing her hand lightly on top of his. "You know I feel the exact same way about you," she added quietly.

"I was kinda counting on that," Carth's now serious gaze turned to Traviata, to find her watching him.

"You can," she admitted softly, her mouth suddenly dry.

The Admiral watched the pair, dumbfounded. They were nearly oblivious to his presence. He'd never seen Carth like this; at least not since his wife died and nothing could have made him happier. He hoped it all went well or the fallout would be horrible for his friend.

The sound of Traviata's comlink buzzing brought her mind back to why she was there in the first place. She looked to Carth, silently conveying her need to speak with him privately. Carth looked to the Admiral.

"I'll be back in touch after I've gone over all the information you sent me. We're going to have to go for now," Carth said.

"Acknowledged. Carth, keep me informed. Very nice meeting you Traviata as well as the smile you've put back on my friend's face. Connors out," the Admiral said, the screen going to the standard Fleet wallpaper.

Carth keyed the board, the monitor going dark. He turned, leaning back against the control panel.

"Thanks for introducing me to your friend, he seems nice and from what I overheard earlier, he thinks the world of you," Traviata hesitated, wondering how to transition into telling him what she knew would make him crazy. She wanted to just stay there like that and luxuriate in the warmth that his words had stirred in her, chasing the chill from her bones.

"Paul and I go back a long ways, longer than either of us care to admit", he said making a face as he mentally calculated the years.

He shook his head slightly, pushing away the number of years from his mind. "Anyway, he's a good man, one of the finest I've ever known," Carth's probing gaze held hers. "You want to tell me something," he paused, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "I have something I want to say first, if you don't mind."

"You go ahead, mine can wait. What's up?" Traviata asked eagerly, gesturing toward him with her hand, the longer she could put it off the better as far as she was concerned. Training to become a Jedi... he was going to freak the frak out. The Council could wait. She tried to clear her eyes and mind as her gaze met his, sincerely curious about what he had to say.

"I've been thinking about what you said, you know about all this," he paused, waving his hands to illustrate his point. "You know, the Force, the nightmares all of it that you're dealing with. After seeing how you were this morning, and before- well maybe it would be best for you to try and work with the Jedi some, see if they can help you deal with it. Whatever you dreamed last night clearly affected you deeply," Carth finished, his eyes watching her closely. He would never forget the fear in her eyes or her skin that felt like ice. He didn't know what or who else could help her really.

"Really? Have the Council help me? You'd be okay with that?" Traviata asked, her face frozen in disbelief. She must not have heard him right.

"Yes, somewhat," Carth agreed.

"I'm glad you feel that way, that's what I need to talk to you about actually," Traviata wondered how to start and decided it was best to just come out with.

"What happened last night, that's what Bastilla and I were with the Council about- we shared a vision, of Revan and Malak, here on this planet- it was terrifying, worse than that actually," she said in a rush, starting to pace.

"They were here at an old abandoned Temple. The place reeked of dark power, and they seemed to soak it up – willingly, happily even," she added, wrapping her arms around herself before continuing.

"Anyway, the Council wants us to pursue the clues from the vision; see if we can use the vision to stop Malak. They say there's some kind of bond between me and Bastilla. Our fates woven together-"

"What? Wait a minute. They say you two are tied together like that? There's no way. I don't believe that," Carth said firmly, his gaze narrowing. "It doesn't make sense, I mean why you? Will you stop pacing and look at me?"

"She had the exact same vision I did Carth, it's like she was in my head, or I in her's I guess" Traviata said, pausing in her trek, her eyes meeting his.

"Yeah, I warned you; Jedi can do that," Carth pointed out with a grimace. "It doesn't mean you're bound to her in anyway though. You know she could have been in the vision by design, instead of by the will of the Force."

"Clearly I don't know what's going on for certain. I have lots of questions but no answers. Why would I have that vision? I mean of Malak and Revan-"she started pacing again. "They were looking for something, Carth. Something important, a Star Forge they called it. Revan, at least, was willing to risk it all to discover it," she stopped abruptly, her eyes stared blankly ahead.

"Malak seemed to hesitate and I swear he almost seemed sad at the idea of being banished from the Order. I wonder what would have happened if he'd stood up to Revan and refused to enter the Temple?" she wondered out loud, her voice a husky whisper.

"Revan would have killed him. No doubt in my mind," Carth answered flatly.

Traviata's now seeing gaze fixed on the Commander, seemed to consider his response. "Yes. A fact I'm sure Malak knew better than anyone," she agreed somberly.

"Hey, don't feel sorry for that bastard. Revan didn't turn overnight, and when Malak knew, he should have reported it to the Council or better yet just done the universe a favor and killed the evil Sith Lord. Malak could have bailed anytime, he had plenty of chances, Traviata," Carth admonished, his face and tone tight.

Traviata nodded slightly and started pacing again.

"The Council want us to go investigate the ruins, but only after they've trained me in how to use the Force, you know as a Jedi and they want to start right away. Now... in absolute point of fact," she paused letting her words sink in.

"They believe Bastilla and I have a shot at stopping Malak, if we work together," Traviata added. "I told them I had to talk to you first, something they weren't thrilled with, but- What do you think Carth?" she asked, coming to a stop in front of him.

As usual it all came back to Bastilla. He tamped down his anger at the idea of Traviata training to be a Jedi. He didn't trust the Jedi, or what their end game was. As soon as Traviata left, he was going to contact Paul again and make sure that this remained an official Republic mission. So long as he could keep it classified that way, it would afford him a measure of authority and the ability to protect Traviata and the Republic from whatever the Jedi had up their collective robes. There was more going on here than what they let on.

Carth walked over to Traviata, placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her to face him.

"I want to know one thing," Carth said soberly, his penetrating gaze holding hers. "Is this what you want to do? You don't have to do this, you know. We can leave this place right now; go back to Fleet and just go back to being soldiers."

"Carth, I don't think I have a choice, not really. After what I saw in that vision, I think they were already on a dark path, but I believe they found what they were looking for and then they were both consumed by it," Traviata wrapped her arms around herself, feeling cold once again. She wondered if it was going to be possible to ever really be warm for long again.

"We have to stop Malak, and this vision may lead us to a way to do that. The traditional ways aren't working," she paused letting go a breath. "I don't want to leave the military though and I don't think I'd want to join the Order." Traviata said heavily. "That part of it leaves me really conflicted."

Carth nodded once, quickly slipping on his Commander demeanor. "That I can help with. First, you don't have to leave the military to do this. Let me handle that. Second, just let them train you and then see where it leads from there. They can't make you join the Order. They must want you pretty badly to be willing to train an adult. That gives you some leverage to negotiate terms that are acceptable to you," Carth informed her.

Traviata nodded her agreement. They obviously knew she had feelings for Carth and were willing to look the other way. She'd simply let them know her terms. She'd continue to be in Fleet, not a Jedi per se, just trained in the ways of one.

"One more thing Traviata; don't shut me out. I want to know what's going on the whole time, you know I don't trust them and whether you realize it or not you're vulnerable right now," Carth added running a finger along her cheek bone. "I want to protect you, that is if you'll let me."

"Of course. Thank you, Carth," she replied, brushing some hair off his face. "You know, you're always there for me. From the moment I first met you, you've done everything in your power to look out for me. Why should I expect now to be any different? It's who you are. You're a soldier's soldier and more than that to me, Carth," she added.

Relieved beyond measure that Carth was not only handling it so well but also offering his support, she embraced him in a tight hug. Pulling back from him slightly, her lips found his in a kiss filled with gratitude and tenderness.

When she broke the kiss, she held his face in her hands. "You know, you're really not so bad for a monkey lizard."

He arched an eyebrow at that and chuckled softly, "You're not so bad yourself, for a pain in the ass Private."

Then she caressed the side of his face, "Thank you. I know none of this is what you want on a personal or professional level. It means a lot to me."

Carth took her head in both his hands and kissed her forehead before leaning his against hers. "You still don't get it? You don't have to thank me, Traviata."

The beeping on Traviata's comlink went off again, she glanced down to see it was Bastilla.

"They're no doubt waiting for you," Carth reminded, releasing her.

"You're not leaving are you, going back to Fleet?" the thought just occurred to Traviata that there was a war going on and he had more important things to do than sit there and wait for her.

"Not a chance; this is still a Republic mission," Carth assured her.

Well, it would be when he was finished talking to the Admiral. It shouldn't be a problem, especially if they really had a lead on stopping Malak. If the Jedi wouldn't talk to him, they most certainly couldn't ignore the Admiral. Paul had been all for Carth staying anyway, wanting to know more about the mission that had cost them so much. Carth watched the relief flash across her face, he wondered if she realized there was no way he'd walk away from her now, at least not in these circumstances, not like this.

"Good. I'll see you later then," Traviata said, before trekking toward the hatchway.


	14. Chap13 Never, Never, Never Say Never

**Chapter 13**

**Never, ****Never, ****Never S****ay ****Never**

_"Sometimes we carry mistakes we haven't even made yet."_

**- Saahil Prem**

A wave of the Force hit her and Traviata found herself lying on the floor; she raised up her sword, now heavy by the hours of dueling, to block the blow being delivered.

Traviata used the Force to ease the weight of her weapon and to propel her upward; she blocked the attack with such power that it sent her practice partner careening across the room and into a wall with a thud.

"Are you okay, Bastilla?" Traviata asked, dropping her weapon she ran across the room to the Jedi, extending a hand to her.

"I am fine, Traviata," Bastilla replied, accepting her hand with as much dignity as she could manage.

"You must work on control," Master Zhar commented from across the sparring chamber.

"Yes, Master Zhar," Traviata acknowledged, crossing the room, Bastilla trailing behind her. "I'm spending more time in meditation as you suggested."

"Good. Your progress is amazing. What has taken you weeks, would have taken others years to master. The Force flows through you like no other I've seen," Zhar commented. "That makes control of supreme importance, you understand this. Yes?"

"Yes, Master Zhar," Traviata confirmed.

"Good. Again," Zhar ordered, gesturing with his head.

It was late into the night when Traviata finally made her way back to the Ebon Hawk.

"You did very well today," Bastilla commented, walking with her. "The Council feels that you are almost ready for the final test."

"Final test?" Traviata asked with a grimace. "I guess a test makes sense," Traviata added distractedly.

"You are troubled," Bastilla said.

"I want to ask you something," Traviata said pointedly. "Why did you see my vision? I mean why you and not another of the Jedi? Why did I even have the vision of Revan and Malak to begin with? Why now, why did I start feeling the Force now instead of when I was younger?"

These questions had been buzzing around in her mind since their conversation with the Council.

"Those are good questions, Traviata. I don't know why I saw it. Perhaps a bond formed between us on Taris, maybe when I healed you there. As to why it happened in the first place. Well, it could be because we wanted to see them or because it was the will of the Force. They were very powerful Jedi Masters and received their Jedi training here on Dantooine; whatever they did in that temple may have left an echo, a trace. I really don't know for certain," Bastilla offered, slowing her pace to a stop. "As far as why your powers chose to manifest themselves now, I can't say, but it may have been our close proximity that manifested your ability or the survival situation you found yourself in. I'm afraid I don't have the definitive answers that you seek Traviata."

Traviata's brow puckered, Carth would call that a typical Jedi-babble answer. An answer that was no answer and only left you with more questions and left you feeling like an idiot for having to ask it in the first place.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay here at the enclave?" Bastilla added. "It's much more peaceful than that ship."

"No thank you, I'm fine there," Traviata replied.

Bastilla held Traviata's gaze, "The Commander, I can feel your thoughts focused on seeing him. You know attachment is discouraged in the Order. Feelings, especially as strong as yours are becoming for Carth, are very dangerous for a Jedi."

"My feelings are what they are, Bastilla. I cannot simply stop caring, not about Carth, not about anyone that I have affection for. Anyway, I'm not part of the order or a Jedi and have no intention of becoming either. The Council is very aware of that," Traviata defended.

"Yes. The Council said neither of you would give the other up. They were right; it's a shame," Bastilla's eyes held hers. "It will require great discipline and vigilance on your part. You must always be aware of these emotions, and do not let them have sway over your actions, or cloud your judgment."

"I will be careful, Bastilla. Carth keeps me sane, centered, and clear. I couldn't do this without him," Traviata replied. "He makes me better and stronger, not weaker."

"Yes, well it starts that way, doesn't it? Then before you know it you're using your power to do monstrous acts for your love. It all starts off with the best of intentions-" Bastilla said.

"You and Carth are so afraid I'm going to turn into some sort of fiend. He thinks using the Force will do it and you see love as my downfall. What does that say about me that you both seem so afraid I will fall?" Traviata wondered out loud.

"It is because we both see your power, your potential. We've also both seen people with great power fall from heights that most can only dream of achieving, leaving devastation in their wake," Bastilla explained, turning toward the dormitories. "Sleep well," she said gliding off silently into the warm night.

Sweet dreams to you too, Traviata thought sarcastically. Bastilla loved to drop bombs like that on her and then leave her to meditate on them. It was beginning to annoy Traviata, a lot. She let go a tired breath and picked up her pace toward the Ebon Hawk. She was exhausted mentally and physically and couldn't wait to be back on the ship with Carth and the rest of the group too.

The training had been intense and extensive for almost two months. When she wasn't practicing her saber skills, she was studying the writings of different Jedi scholars, and when she wasn't doing that, she was meditating. It had been a grueling schedule, still she managed to find some time everyday to be with Carth. It was usually at the end of the day; they'd sit together in the main hold on one of the half moon couches in the room, both sharing what they'd done during their time apart, the others would often join them.

"So, what went on today with you?" Traviata asked, sitting down on the couch beside Carth, who was absorbed in whatever was on the datapad he was studying. It appeared to be Republic fleet positions and enemy vessels as well.

"Hey there, Beautiful. Sorry, I didn't hear you come in- analyzing some data for Paul. Malak has forces deployed all over looking for Bastilla. Everywhere but here it seems. Strange," Carth greeted her, putting his arm around her shoulders, holding the datapad with his other hand.

Traviata leaned in closer to him, craning her head to get a view of the information. "Not really. The Council keeps her presence masked. They say he'll figure it out soon though."

"Yeah, well his forces are wreaking havoc everywhere else looking for her. We're starting to take some heavy losses. I think he's getting desperate, pissed, or both," Carth responded.

"Well Master Zhar seems impressed with my progress. Maybe I'll be finished soon and we can explore the ruins and get on with this," Traviata replied, her gaze turning from the datapad to Carth to find him watching her.

"What's wrong?" Carth asked, frowning. "You're not yourself. You seem restless, tense."

"Just tired. Tired of Bastilla's meddling and negativity. It seems she's as worried about me turning to the dark side as you are. Though for slightly different reasons," Traviata said dryly.

"Hey, don't put me in the same category as her. It's not you personally, it's just what I've seen happen," Carth replied, his face hardening.

The haughty Jedi had several conversations with Carth about his and Traviata's relationship, warning him of the dangers of stirring such strong emotion in a Jedi. He'd told her to frak off and mind her own business after he'd let her know exactly what he thought of the Jedi in general and how certain he was that she'd planned on recruiting Traviata into the Order from the very beginning.

"Hell Carth, that's what she said too," Traviata said, sitting up straighter. "You say not to put you in the same category, but I swear at times it's like you two are sharing the same script."

"Will you stop saying that, damn it? I'm nothing like her, and our motivations regarding you are not the same. I promise you that," Carth shot back, his voice rising. "Our only similarity is that we watched great and powerful Jedi fall. Then they brought others along with them. We experienced it from different vantage points granted, but still," he paused before continuing. "To see such heroes changed into monsters worse than the enemy we'd been fighting," he shook his head as he spoke. "You weren't around to see it, if you had been then you'd understand our fear better. They-"

"Enough! I'm not them!" Traviata shouted angrily. "Listen, I can't begin to understand what turned Revan, Malak, and Saul so evil. No one understands what really happened to lead Revan and Malak down the path they chose," she paused as Carth opened his mouth to speak. "Let me finish, Carth," she paused watching him close his mouth, his hesitation apparent, concern in his eyes.

"That's not going to happen to me. I'd never do that. I wish that you had a little faith in me. It hurts you know? I mean I just don't understand why the frak you're so worried about it," Traviata finished, her voice tense.

Carth bent over to her and took her chin in his hand and turned her head.

"That's why, Viata," Carth whispered. "It's not you I don't have faith in. It's the powers you're playing with."

Traviata gasped, her eyes finding the floating crushed chair. It dropped to the floor with a loud crash.

She moved to get up, embarrassed and feeling overwhelmed. Carth caught her by the hand, their eyes meeting. "Hey, hey, don't go."

"I have to-" Traviata whispered, her eyes darting to the demolished chair and back to Carth. She'd had no idea she had done that, she'd been irritated at him not the chair. What if she'd hurt him instead? The thought made her heart stop, causing her stomach to lurch.

"No, you don't. Don't shut me out, we discussed this," Carth reminded her, his brow furrowed.

"I was a fool. You and Bastilla were right. It would be so easy to fall. I don't want to end up like Revan, Malak-"

"I don't want that to happen, I won't let it-" Carth interrupted squeezing her hand tighter.

"How can you know that? Anyway, I have to deal with this now," Traviata explained, pulling her hand from Carth's, she rose to her feet.

This power she was discovering had to be managed, she had to focus. There was no way she was letting herself head down the path of the dark side. If her agitation could unknowingly destroy and make a chair float, what else was she capable of? This is what the Masters had been warning her about. This was the reason for Carth's and Bastilla's fears.

"I know," Carth agreed soberly, finding his feet as well. "I'm here for you. You don't have to close yourself off to me or leave."

The Jedi were pushing her too hard, he'd never heard of an adult being trained under any circumstances, much less this dummied up crash course they had her on. And all of it to chase a clue from a vision; it didn't make sense. He'd have intervened weeks ago, except that it did seem to be helping her some.

Yeah, but until now she hadn't attacked the furniture when she got a little mad, he thought ruefully.

Traviata gave Carth a sad smile, "You're wrong, I have to go, I'm sorry Carth but I need to be away from you. What if it's not a chair next time? You can't help me..." She wasn't going to allow him to be hurt because of her. Traviata used the Force and slipped away quickly, not giving him the chance to protest further.

"Damn it!" Carth shouted out angrily, his frustration at the situation and his inability to fix it filled him.

Carth walked over to the chair that had disrupted their normal evening time they'd spent together. He picked up the offensive piece of furniture, surveying the damage. It looked like it'd been in a trash compacter. What if his worst fears were starting to come true? What if this training was only making her more dangerous to herself and others, he wondered.

At this point, his hands were tied. If he took her away now, leaving her in the state she was currently in would not solve the problem. Staying here, continuing her training, hoping that she'd learn control seemed the only solution. That left her at the mercy of the Jedi Council, and he didn't trust their motives for a second. He hated feeling so helpless, and he wondered exactly how he'd ended up in this situation.

Here he was a Commander, sitting on a planet of Jedi while the Fleet was being pounded by the Sith. He belonged on the bridge of a ship, not sitting here trying to help strategize from a civilian vessel. The information, though, that they could glean from the vision had him a virtual hostage to the Council. He couldn't walk away from that, or her, he added mentally. How did he end up in a relationship to begin with, and with someone training to be a Jedi?

Feeling exasperated and discouraged, Carth threw the chair across the room, loudly stringing together a cloud of profanity as it sailed through the air.

"Whoa," Canderous said, entering the hold, dodging the chair flying in his direction. His eyes surveyed the furniture, now in pieces at his feet before looking to Carth. "Now you're acting like a warrior. There may be hope for you yet, Fleet."

"Shut up, Canderous. Or you'll end up like the chair," Carth said storming from the room, brushing against him as he left.

"Spoken like a Mandalorian," Canderous said appreciatively to the empty room.

He nudged the demolished furniture with the tip of his boot, wondering just how strong the Commander was. He'd made the right decision to stay with this group. It may take a while, but he was going to find battles with this band that would be worthy of his skill. Then he might be able to die in a fight with honor, instead of working as a petty mercenary.

The thought brightened his spirits and then it occurred to him that Traviata was no where to be seen. Carth and the woman were usually always together when she was on board the Hawk. He glanced at his chrono and then looked the direction where Carth had made his speedy exit, letting his eyes examine the room. He lit up as a smile broke across his face; the happy couple must have had a hell of a fight. There was no other explanation for Carth's mood and the busted up furniture.

"Things are looking up," Canderous said out loud, making his way to the engine room.

For the next several weeks, when Traviata wasn't training or studying she was meditating in the enclave. She didn't see Carth much during this time. She stopped going back to the ship, spending all her free time meditating, learning to focus her feelings. Traviata didn't want to chance a repeat of what had happened with the chair.

Carth came looking for her the first couple of days. Once he'd seen she was okay, he let her be. She could sense his confusion and anger, but Carth let her have her space. She could tell he was reaching the end of his patience though.

She knew she'd made the right decision; she'd gained a tremendous measure of control. Learning how to focus on the Force, pushing her emotions aside, or at least how to focus on managing them, had been the key in unlocking not only her control but the ability to allow the Force to flow through her even more, making her abilities extremely powerful.

Feeling that she was no longer a danger to others she found herself searching for Carth.

"Hey there," Traviata greeted Carth, squatting down beside his prone form lodged under a swoop bike in the cargo hold. Pieces of the bike were laid out neatly, tools surrounded the Commander.

"Hey. Can you hand me the power calibrator?" Carth asked evenly, not stopping his work, putting out a hand.

Traviata placed the article in his hand. "You're mad," she noted.

He used the tool, swearing softly under his breath. "Can you grab the fusion cutter?"

She quickly placed the cutter in his waiting palm. "Why would I be mad?" he asked.

There was silence, except for the sound of Carth working on the bike.

"Because you've been avoiding me you mean?" the Commander asked, loudly discarding a tool beside him.

"I haven't been avoiding you, I've been learning how not to demolish the furniture," she said lightly.

Silence met her attempt at humor, except for the sound of Carth ratcheting a bolt.

Traviata let go a long breath. "I had to deal with what I did and had the potential of doing, Carth," she explained, sitting on the floor. "I'm sorry, but I got scared that night and-"

"You got scared, freaked, and what? Ran away, shutting me out, breaking your promise to me," Carth put in.

Traviata hoped he'd forgive her; she could feel his anger and more than that his pain.

"I've hurt you, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I was trying to protect you-" Traviata explained.

"I don't need your frakin protection," Carth stormed, sliding out from under the bike. His eyes surveyed Traviata, coming to rest on her new addition dangling from her waist.

"You're a Jedi?" Carth asked his face unreadable.

"No. Officially, I'm nothing I suppose," she answered, pondering the question. "They're calling me a Padawan now. Though I told them I wouldn't join the Order."

"You did?" Carth's relief plain in his tone and eyes. "Why?"

"Lots of reasons really, first it doesn't feel right to me. Second, I'm a Republic soldier; I want to serve in the military. The main reason," she paused, clearing her throat. "The main reason would be because of my relationship with you, which conflicts with their official tenets. While they're tolerant of my feelings for this mission, that lenience would come at an end with this assignment."

Traviata put it all out there, it didn't matter if he still felt the same, and her feelings had only grown deeper in her absence from him.

"I see," Carth said, betraying no emotion now, sitting up, wiping his grease laden hands on a nearby rag.

Traviata felt her stomach tighten, what if she'd lost him in her attempt to gain control of her power and emotion?

"You are the most stubborn, obstinate woman I've ever known," Carth said, his eyes tightening. "You make me crazy."

Traviata's stomach sank, her eyes drifted downward, she could feel his anger the most of all the emotions emanating from him now.

"You always have to do things your way. I get that you needed some space to do what you had to; you should have talked to me about it, let me know what was going on-" Carth placed his palm over her heart, "in here, and in here," he added, touching her head.

"I want to be the first to know what you're feeling and thinking, not the last. Also, I didn't want you to put yourself in such an exposed alienated position with the Jedi. I've told you that I don't trust them, especially regarding their motives and plans with you," Carth added.

"We need to get one thing straight right now," Carth paused. "I don't ever need your frakin' protection. I do the protecting, and you wouldn't let me. I can't do that, it's not who I am. You should know that."

Traviata nodded wordlessly.

"You thought of a future with me in it, after all this?" Carth asked guardedly.

Traviata shrugged slightly. "I mean, I didn't know what you thought, I didn't know how things would work out, but yes that's what I'd hoped-"

Carth pulled her over into his lap, his lips devouring hers hungrily, his hands pulling her head tightly against him. This was not a tender kiss, but one filled with all his pent up emotions.

Carth whispered into her ear, when he broke the kiss, holding her to him. "Don't ever do that to me again."

Traviata nodded, "I just- I won't, I'm sorry, Carth" she promised realizing that was what he needed to know and understanding that he meant his words. It would be over if she cut him out like that again, no matter how noble her intentions.

They were still sitting on the floor of the cargo bay, Traviata in Carth's lap when Bastilla entered the room.

"Well I suppose it shouldn't surprise me to find you here, like this. Your thoughts have been so loud regarding the Commander. I'm surprised the wild kinrath hounds didn't attack the Enclave at the shrieking noise," Bastilla said, her discomfort evident at the situation.

"You didn't forget our mission to the temple did you?" Bastilla asked.

"No, but I thought there was a test I had to pass first," Traviata noted, her body going stiff at the thought of entering the place of the shadows of her nightmares.

"The Council said the test would make itself known. We are to proceed to the ancient ruins," Bastilla said, looking away from the couple. "If you'll be so good as to let Traviata up, Commander."

"I'm going with you," Carth informed the Jedi, his gaze hardening.

"Of course you are," Bastilla said sarcastically. "Would you two please- the way you are seated-is most inappropriate when there is a guest present" she stammered, looking like she wanted to stomp her foot or run away. Traviata and Carth both rose.

"I'm ready, let's go find out what this vision was all about," Carth said, walking to a nearby workstation, he retrieved his weapons. The sooner they got this over with, the sooner they could bug out and get back to the fleet. For the first time in a long time, the Commander was looking for something more than revenge. He was beginning to think that there might be a possibility of a future beyond vengeance, a future with Traviata.


	15. Chapter 14 - Shadows of the Past

** Chapter****14**

**Shadows ****of ****the ****Past**

"_I __can __only __note __that __the __past __is __beautiful __because __one __never __realizes __an __emotion __at __the __time. __It __expands __later, __and __thus __we __don't __have __complete __emotions __about __the __present, __only __about __the __past."_

_**- **__**Virginia **__**Woolf**_

Traviata rolled onto the ground coming up to her feet to block the fierce lightsaber attack. She countered the yellow-eyed Cathar's moves. Traviata didn't want to kill the woman; she did however want to tire her out, which was taking considerable time and effort. She glanced quickly in the direction of Carth and Bastilla; they were still in stasis, unable to move. Traviata continued dueling athletically with the woman, until finally she had her on her knees and at her mercy.

The Cathar had introduced herself as Juhani, and claimed that the area around the ruins was full of dark side power and that it was hers. Juhani had related that she'd sought it out when she'd killed her Master in anger during a training exercise. She thought herself all powerful with the aid of the dark side, something Traviata was determined to disprove. Traviata felt good in this woman and deep remorse; if filled her with the desire to help her back onto the right path if she could. Juhani had given up on herself, Traviata refused to do that without attempting to help her back to the light.

"Go ahead, kill me. You have won and I thought no one could beat me with the dark side as my aid," Juhani said. "There is nothing left for me now."

"Why did you turn to the dark side, Juhani?" Traviata asked, closing her saber with a snap hiss.

"After I slew my Master in anger it seemed the only thing to do. I always thought her jealous of my power. I see now that it was my foolish pride. It is too late," Juhani explained. "There is no hope for me."

"Juhani, it is never too late, there is always hope where there is life. You should go turn yourself in to the Council. Let them be the judge of your fate. You don't have to turn to the dark side. I feel the good in you, and your regret. No one is beyond redemption Juhani, no matter what they've done," Traviata offered, now standing at the woman's side. "You don't have to stay on this path, Juhani," she added softly.

Juhani held her eyes for a moment. "Spoken like a true Jedi. You are right of course. You actually remind me of the Jedi I met many years ago. They were the reason I pursued joining the order," Juhani let go a breath a long breath, a determined look coming to her face and eyes. "I will do as you suggest."

Carth and Bastilla were released from their stasis, both coming over to Traviata.

Traviata put her hand on her arm. "I would go with you, but I have a task I must perform for the Council. I will look for you when I return to the enclave, Juhani," she finished.

"Thank you, I do not know what fate awaits me, but thank you for seeing the good in me," Juhani nodded and sped off in the direction of the Enclave.

"I'm not just letting her run off. She's an admitted murderer and she tried to kill you," Carth argued, his weapon raised, his eyes meeting hers with an accusing glare. "She's dangerous, she needs to be restrained."

"This planet's justice is handled by the Jedi Council Commander, and not only that, you know that we police our own-" Bastilla interjected.

"We all know how well that's worked out," he countered, a muscle twitched in his jaw. He watched Juhani until she was out of sight.

"No one is beyond redemption? Seriously? I can think of a few who are," Carth said, meeting Traviata's gaze.

"Frak, she was trying to kill you just moments ago, didn't look a lot like remorse to me," he took a breath, running a hand through his hair. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Traviata paused. "Carth, you really believe that? She was truly sorry, she was just confused and in pain. All she needed was a little compassion and guidance back," she continued. She could read his feelings more easily now, his intense anger was rolling off him in waves.

"How long before she slips again and kills someone else and needs a little _help_ back? Don't you see the vicious cycle you're setting up?" Carth shot back, his hands on his hips. "It's that kind of thinking that has us in this trouble to begin with. It's why we have to retrace the steps of Revan and Malak now. Hell, it's the reason for the war with the Sith now."

"Maybe, if someone had intervened, stepped in and tried to guide them back, they wouldn't have fallen so far," Traviata replied.

"Traviata, _they chose_ to disobey the Council when they aided the Republic in the Mandalorian War, disregarding that guidance," Bastilla put in. "They were both full of pride and arrogance thinking they knew more than the Council. They allowed their emotions to rule them." she continued in a superior tone, arching her eyebrow.

Carth's eyes cut into Bastilla, his temper flaring at her response to Traviata. "You are preaching about pride and arrogance? That's rich," Carth's eyes narrowing.

"Maybe the Jedi need to feel a little more and talk a little less. I was grateful for their help; it changed the course of the entire conflict. They saved millions of lives with their disobedience. Perhaps if the Council had supported them, they would have never turned into the monsters they became. Of course, if the Jedi stopped messing with powers that should be left alone, it would solve the problem altogether," he added.

He didn't agree with Traviata's views, but there was no way he was standing by and letting Bastilla be so condescending to her, as if she was so vastly superior. She was young, egotistical, inexperienced and it made Carth livid, especially in light of the powers she displayed. It was a catastrophe waiting to happen. Another one, he thought, further deepening his dislike and distrust of the Jedi in general. Why would they allow someone like her to mentor someone like Traviata? It made no sense, even if there was some bond between them. He feared the continued influence of Bastilla and the Order on Traviata. One more reason to get this mission done and over with, he thought with a grimace.

"It may have been the Council, in their wisdom, saw what would come of their interference, Commander. Just imagine what the galaxy would be like if the entire order had come under the influence of the dark side," Bastilla countered.

There was a lingering silence.

"That's an awfully big supposition, and it shows me that the Council and you don't know how to own up to it when you're wrong. I'm done with this conversation, it's pointless," Carth finished, turning to Traviata.

"You're sure your okay?" his eyes surveying her.

That Cathar had been like an angry tornado with her light saber. Traviata had not only held her own though, but had easily defeated her. Carth realized that Traviata could have finished off Juhani at anytime. Her sword skills were impressive before, but now they were something so far above anything he'd ever seen that it concerned him. Traviata had learned to wield an amazing amount of power through the Force in an unbelievably short time. He'd never heard of anything like that before and that bothered him too.

"Yes, I'm fine," Traviata nodded, taking a deep breath, drawing on the Force.

The discussion about Juhani and redemption had troubled her. Bastilla's opinions were, as usual, on the arrogant side. She'd come to expect that from the young woman. Carth's violent unforgiving anger though that she'd felt during the conversation had shaken her. She had to find a way to help him let go of some of it or it would destroy him.

"That's the Temple over there?" Carth asked, pointing to the building just over the next hill.

"That's it all right," Traviata answered, her tone and expression troubled.

"You sure you want to do this?" Carth asked, watching her.

"Oh, believe me, I don't want to, but I need to know what's in there," Traviata replied, her feet already moving in the direction of the crumbling building.

"All right then, lets go find out," Carth said, walking beside her.

Traviata felt the cold seep into her as soon as they reached the entrance of the Temple.

"They were right, the dark side is strong here," Traviata noted, marveling at the same intricately designed doors she'd seen in her vision.

"It won't budge," Bastilla said.

With a wave of Traviata's hand the doors opened.

"Handy skill you picked up," Carth said entering the room, his blaster in hand.

Traviata followed quickly, catching up to him at a huge square shaped droid with spider type legs, stationed in the room before a second entry door.

"Did the Council place this here?" Traviata asked, turning to Bastilla. "This wasn't in the vision."

"No, the Council did not. This must be something Revan and Malak placed here," Bastilla commented.

"Wonder what other surprises they left behind?" Carth said, his eyes scanning every inch of the room.

The droid began making unintelligible sounds, like it was trying to communicate with them.

"Is it broken?" Traviata asked Carth, now at the side of the droid, looking at the control panel.

"I'm not sure. I've never seen anything like this Traviata, anywhere," Carth replied, inspecting it further.

The droid continued to babble on, skipping and then lagging before going on with its apparent attempts to communicate with them.

"It may not be programmed with a language we understand," Bastilla offered.

"It sounds damaged. Wait I can understand it now, it's cycled to another language, that one's Selkath," Traviata said, coming to stand by Carth.

"I understood that as well," Bastilla suggested.

"What would a droid be doing here on Dantooine that's programmed to speak the language of the Selkath on Manaan?" Carth asked, his eyes drifting to Traviata's. She answered with a shrug.

"I can reproduce any language spoken by the slaves of the builders," the droid said.

"But you are not the species of the slaves. You are like the one who came before," the droid continued.

"Clearly, the vision had some holes," Traviata commented, shooting Carth a concerned look.

He nodded slightly, "I recommend extreme caution." There was no telling what else was in this bleak building. The droid gave him the creeps, its spidery legs made it look too much like a kinrath for his taste.

"It must mean Revan," Bastilla commented. "This unit seems mobile; they likely encountered it somewhere here, while exploring the Temple."

"What are you? Why are you here?" Traviata asked.

"It says it's an overseer, left here to discipline the slaves building this monument to the monolithic Star Forge," Traviata relayed to Carth.

"It also says the slaves were executed at the project completion and it was reprogrammed to provide information should a builder come looking for it," Traviata continued.

"Nice. Ask it what the Star Forge is," Carth was most interested to know that. It sounded an awful lot like a weapon to him.

"It says it's a machine of invincible might, and unstoppable conquest..." Traviata trailed off, her tone as bleak as her face.

"Yes, but what is its capability. Is it a weapon or does it produce weapons?" Carth asked the droid.

"It only says that the builders are invincible and glorious, the Star Forge a testament to their immense strength," Traviata replied.

"Who are the builders? What happened to them?" Bastilla asked.

"It goes on some more about how powerful and unbeatable the builders are. It seems there are limits to its knowledge," Traviata said.

"More likely limits to what info it will give out," Carth retorted.

"There is no record of these builders in the Jedi archives. How long have you been here?" Bastilla asked.

Traviata froze her eyes widening in shock. "You must be mistaken, your memory corrupted."

"What?" Carth asked.

"It says its circuitry is built with the same technology as the Star Forge, that it is incorruptible," Traviata said. "If its calculations are correct, this droid is 5,000 years older than the Republic."

"That has to be a mistake," Bastilla put in.

"Tell us about the ones who came before us. Revan and Malak," Traviata asked the droid.

Bastilla and Traviata exchanged uneasy glances when the droid had finished.

"Revan and Malak proved themselves worthy, when the droid opened the doors for them and so they gained the knowledge they sought about the Star Forge," Traviata explained to Carth.

"The droid says that one came who was not worthy and he paid the price. The Temple unleashing it's fury on him," Traviata continued. "The droid says it cannot give us any more information."

"That had to be the Jedi the Council sent, Nemo, to investigate the ruins. He never returned," Bastilla added quietly.

Carth listened quietly, considered their words for a moment and checking his weapons he headed for the inner doorway. He had to know whatever it was that Malak and Revan found, and behind this door was the answer. No way he was walking away from that.

There was a dual snap hiss behind the Commander. "Open the door," Traviata said to the droid.

The fire fight started immediately as they entered the chamber, there were several droids equipped with heavy armory.

Carth ran toward the closest one, finding cover he opened up his weapons on it.

Traviata jumped to the one further in the room, using her light saber to deflect it fire back on it. The droid responded with intense electric shock. The two went back and forth like that for several minutes.

The droid increased the amperage and then stabbed her with a retractable blade.

"Son of a Sith," Traviata exclaimed.

"I have a few tricks of my own," Traviata sent the machine crashing back into a stone wall with a wave of the Force.

She pulled her tunic tight against her to cover the wound before the others saw. Undoubtedly they'd want her to return to the enclave if they knew. She turned to see Bastilla finishing off the droid she'd battled and then to Carth who was quickly closing the distance between them. The droid he'd been fighting a smoking heap on the sandy floor.

"It's through there," Traviata said, making her way to the back doorway, closing her light saber.

A wave of the hand and the doors opened, Traviata stepping through.

She looked to her side, feeling a presence there with her. Then she saw Malak, causing her to freeze in her tracks, her light saber ignited instantly in her hand.

"What is it?" Carth asked, coming over to her. She looked frightened and confused.

Traviata's eyes searched the room, he wasn't there, it was her imagination. She blinked slowly, it had felt so real.

"Nothing, just jittery," she replied, snapping off her light saber. One look at his face and she knew he didn't buy it. "The vision, I thought I saw Malak, it was just-" she let go a breath.

"I should get you out of here. Its bad enough you have to dream of those two, but then to have to visit the place of your nightmares. It's a little much for anyone to deal with," Carth said, his eyes surveying her. "You're wounded too, why didn't you say something? We're going, we can come back," Carth reprimanded, using his Captain's tone, taking her by the elbow.

"No, I'm okay. Let's just finish this," Traviata asserted, yanking her arm from his, her tone harsher than she'd intended.

"I'm sorry; I just want to get this over with. I'll be fine, it's not deep. Bastilla can take care of it after," Traviata explained. "We're here; I need to see this through, Carth."

He agreed with wanting to get it over with, but he hated doing it with her wounded and her mind so clouded that she was jumping at ghosts. The tactician in him hated going into this situation with so many negatives stacked against them.

Carth held her gaze for a long moment, his eyes like flint. "Fine, okay," he reluctantly conceded, taking in a breath. "Let's go see what was worth everything to Malak and Revan," he added, taking her by the elbow again, intent on keeping her close. When they entered further into the room a map activated, buzzing, humming, and causing the air to crackle with electricity.

"This is what they found? What you described in your vision?" Carth asked, shooting her a questioning look.

"Yes," Traviata answered meeting his eyes. "This is what they were after," she confirmed, walking around the perimeter of the map.

"This is where Revan and Malak began their journey down the path to the dark side," Bastilla said, her eyes wide.

"I think they were already on that road when they got here, Bastilla. This is what pushed them over the edge though," Traviata commented.

"This is just a Star Map," Carth said frowning, coming to stand by Traviata. "I don't get it. How did this turn them?"

"It's where it led them to that I believe sent them into the abyss of darkness they fell into, not the actual map. Though this artifact, this room, in fact this entire building reeks of evil. It permeates everything," she replied, an involuntary shiver running down her spine.

Carth nodded, watching her intently. He needed to get her out of there. Running a finger across her cheek he walked closer to the map.

"We can use the map to follow Revan and Malak's path. They must have been looking for the Star Forge, whatever it is," Bastilla said.

Carth was absorbed in the map now, walking slowly around it, studying it from every angle.

"It's missing critical data, key hyperspace coordinates and the location of the Star Forge," Carth rebutted. He knew maps and this one was incomplete.

"You see this here," Carth said pointing to the map. "This is Korriban, a _Sith _world. Which makes this Kashyyk, this one is Tatooine and this is Manaan. Those are the only hyperspace coordinates given."

"I know that Revan and Malak went to Korriban at least once, perhaps they found something there. There could be clues on all those planets, pieces to the map. They must have found them in order to find the Star Forge. If we have more visions to help guide us, we can surely find it too, and then we can destroy the Star Forge," Bastilla put in.

"That's a whole lot of speculation, Bastilla, even for you," Carth argued. "Why would you assume there are other maps at these locations? This map could just be corrupted," he persisted.

"You can't deny that they somehow found something that made them unstoppable and completely corrupted them. There's no other logical explanation," Bastilla countered.

"We must inform the Council of what we've discovered, they will decide our next course of action," Bastilla continued.

"They may decide _your_ next course of action, but we're not under their authority," Carth shot back.

"Very well, Commander. I'll have it made an official Republic mission and have Traviata assigned to it, if that's what you want," Bastilla replied icily. "You won't have to be bothered with it, if you don't want to be assigned to it."

Traviata could feel Carth's anger ready to explode; she didn't need the Force to feel it either.

"You don't want to play this game with me, Bastilla," Carth warned darkly.

"It's not a game, this is what we've been waiting and hoping for and I won't let this opportunity slip through our fingers because of you Carth," Bastilla put in.

"Commander, Traviata and I have a bond, which allowed us to see the vision that brought us here. We have nothing better to go on, Traviata is vital to this mission-"

"_Vital to this mission_- those words sound awfully familiar," he said acidly. "Hold it, did you know this would happen? Was this your plan all along, and why she had to be assigned to the Endar Spire?" Carth interrupted with an accusing glare. He asked the question, but in his mind he knew, this is what the Jedi had planned all along.

"No, Commander. We knew she'd be important to accomplishing our goal, that's all. This is the best chance we've actually had of tracking down the way Malak has unending weapons and ships. It has to have something to do with this Star Forge. I don't believe that you'd actually stand in the way of ending this war," Bastilla replied, trying her best to placate the Captain.

"Commander, what greater weapon is there than to turn an enemy to your cause? To use their own knowledge against them? We have that opportunity," Bastilla continued.

"Go talk to your Council, Bastilla. We're finished here," Carth said, barely containing his tremendous anger. This new admission confirmed his darkest suspicions he'd had about the strange assignment from the beginning.

Bastilla must have felt his anger too; she didn't push the issue and made a quick exit from the sinister temple.

Traviata and Carth watched the Jedi disappear. Carth let go a stream of obscenities at her departure, walking away from Traviata to the other side of the room.

"I know you're pissed, but she has a point you know. It is our best chance of stopping Malak," Traviata noted, walking over to him and putting a hand on his shoulder when he'd finally run out of four letter words.

"Did you know anything about this at all? When you were transferred, did you know why?" Carth asked, glancing at her over his shoulder, his back still to her.

"No. How could I? I told you before I didn't know why they requested me. You think I knew this was going to happen? Are we back to that again?" Traviata asked her hand dropping to her side. Carth was a mass of anger, hatred, and suspicion, it bubbled off him.

Carth turned, his face as hard as his eyes at first. "No," he let go a breath. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that. It's just too convenient. I hate that they're doing this to you, dragging you into this, using you this way. I hate the way they cost my crew their lives, and for what?" he paused. "I've seen what that vision did to you before and Bastilla hopes you have more? You've been through enough, they ask too much of you."

Traviata replaced her hand on his shoulder. "Its okay, Carth, I'm a Republic soldier, like you, it's what we do. Besides that, I'm committed to doing everything I can do to stop Malak and the Sith. We may have a real chance here- you know that, that's partly why you're so mad," Traviata replied.

Carth swore under his breath, walking over to the map reader he snatched the orb, putting it into his pack.

"We didn't get Bastilla to heal you're leg," Carth commented coming to stand by Traviata, pulling a medpak from his bag. "It's just an anesthetic, but it will ease the pain until we get back to the enclave. It's a bit of a hike back; you want me to get a speeder?" He squatted down injecting the hypo into her, rubbing her leg, not giving her a chance to argue.

"Thanks. It's not that bad, I just want to get out of here now. This place makes my skin crawl," Traviata admitted. "Don't think I didn't notice you're avoiding the subject."

"Okay. Let's get you to the medic," Carth agreed, rising quickly.

"Well it seems you'll do just about anything to get a romantic stroll with me," Carth teased, flashing her a full smile, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah; you think you're so smooth. I'm on to you Commander," Traviata's eyes met his, loving the way they crinkled up on the sides when he really smiled.

"Well I am. I've got my arm around you beautiful, I must be doing something right," he said lightly, ignoring the rest of her comment.

"As charming as you are and as much as I love to see you smile, will you please quit deflecting?" she said her expression troubled. "It's the only way, Carth. You know it's our best hope of stopping Malak," Traviata

"We have no idea what we'll be walking into. The probability of success and survival is very low," Carth figured the odds in his head; he gave them less than a three percent chance, and that was being generous. He'd never agree to send any personnel on a mission with such a low survival probability under normal circumstances, nothing about any of this was normal though.

"I know, I think it's worth the risk," Traviata replied, the pair making their way to the exit.

"I don't want you to do this; it's too dangerous. You're taking a great risk playing with the Force like this. You thought you saw Malak in there a few minutes ago," Carth explained.

"It will be okay, it was just my imagination. I haven't gotten much sleep lately-"

"You'd pulled out your frakin' light saber ready to battle, Traviata. Why? Because of nightmares about Malak and Revan. That's my point. It affects you, and it may only get worse if you pursue this,"Carth argued.

"There's no other choice, I can't just walk away from this, Carth," Traviata persisted.

"You'll go no matter what I say," Carth said, his voice and expression troubled. "Don't bother denying it."

"I wasn't going to," Traviata shot back. "If you were in my place, you would too. Don't bother denying that."

"Damn, stubborn, obstinate, woman," he let go a deep breath, his eyes squinting in the light outside. She wasn't going to budge on her decision.

"You know it is very dangerous, you don't have to do this too. I know you want to get back to the Fleet," Traviata offered.

"You think I'd leave you to do this alone?" Carth asked sharply.

"No, I didn't. I just don't want anything to happen to you any more than you want me to get hurt. It works both ways, you know," Traviata answered. The idea of a universe without him was too much for her to bear the thought of.

"Oh it does, does it? Learning to appreciate monkey lizards are you?" he asked smiling, tucking some hair behind her ear. There was no doubt she was going, that meant he was going.

"It's settled then," he said, not giving her a chance to respond. "We have a mission to get ready for. We better get you patched up, for starters," Carth added, his mind already mentally going over a checklist of what he'd need to do to have them mission ready.

* * *

The small ship glided through the dark space of the Unknown Regions, the stars slipping by silently. Malak stood alone at a rear viewport, reaching out through the Force, trying to feel the presence of those he sought. Nothing; cold desolate blackness was all he sensed. He pulled out the medallion he was never without and tried once again to feel Bastilla and her companions, drawing on all his dark power as he meditated.

Murky shadows, battlefields strewn with the dead, galaxies and planets flew by his mind's eye. Jedi, the Council, vast grassy plains he recognized from Dantooine appeared, the group he searched for was there, but not the one he looked for. He strained with all his might, and then he saw her with members of the party in the Ancient Temple, in the ruins on Dantooine. He felt it then, the connection, it hit him with a force that made him stagger and then it was gone. Like the shadows of the past, a mere flicker of a memory now.

With a furious roar that caused the entire ship to vibrate, the sound of straining steel mixed with warning klaxons erupted. With extreme effort he gained control, using the Force he silenced the alarms. His small crew would see to the necessary repairs, that didn't concern him. What concerned him was what he saw. He called the nearby datapad to his hand, it flew to him instantly. He pulled up the picture of the group on Taris.

He'd foreseen things would proceed just as they had, except for one thing: the small group that was now on the verge of going down the path to the Star Forge. He hadn't seen the others in his visions of the future. It was impossible to tell what affect that would have on the ultimate outcome. There was only one course of action he could see, he had to thin them out, eliminate the ones who could destroy his carefully wrought plans.

They would soon be on the path that Malak had once traveled himself at Revan's side. He would make sure that there were Sith acolytes on every planet they would no doubt travel to. The dark lord would leave the Sith Masters on the Star Forge, for now at least. Darth Malak continued his vigil at the viewport, the small necklace gripped tightly in his hand. He reached out with the Force trying to determine the affect the others would have on his journey.


End file.
